Helping the Enemy
by Izzy Dixon
Summary: What if instead of the entire Chitauri race, Tony Stark only destroyed the army branch? What if instead of punishing him on Asgard, the All Father decided that Loki should be punished by them? What if Loki managed to alter the course of the Bifrost and made it back to Earth? What would happen if Tony had a daughter that decided to help Loki hide from the Chitauri wrath?
1. Chapter 1

The sound of something big hitting the roof yanks Toni from her medically induced sleep. Normally she would just brush it off as a tree branch hitting the top of the house, but seeing as she and her father are in Stark tower in New York, she doesn't think that's the answer. Unless something managed to yank an entire small tree from the sidewalk and throw it on the roof, which is highly unlikely since they haven't heard from Banner since the Avengers. Toni sleepily swings a leg over the size of her queen-sized bed and rubs an eye, deciding to check in case it's Tony working on an experiment.

She wouldn't blame him for the lack of sleep; she's barely been able to sleep without the use of some sleep aids and dream suppressors since the invasion. In fact, if it hadn't been for the meds, she'd probably be curled up beside her dad in his bed by now. The thought still swirls in her head, begging her to brush off the crash and just give into her childish impulses. Her older side, however, is forcing her body to climb the stairs to the roof.

Toni hesitates as she reaches the door, starting to question her sanity on whether or not she actually heard what she did, or was it just in her over active imagination. After all, that's what causes everything else that happened so far. Seeing aliens from the corner of her eyes and instinctively shooting at it has been on top of the list of things she's done wrong so far, followed by hearing things and growling in her sleep. Her hands tightens into a fist, the leather of her finger-less gloves squeaking slightly, activating the nano-machines she implanted in them a while back and making the center of her hand glow a light blue green color. _You can do this_, she thinks to herself. _Come on, you fought aliens for Pete's sake. Then again, if you hadn't you wouldn't be in this situation in the first place. But at least you saved a city. That counts as something right?_

She shakes her head furiously to clear the multiple opposing voices in her head and sighs to calm herself. Slowly, her hand lifts from her side and grabs the doorknob, turning it quietly, as not to alert whatever may be up here with her. When a big enough crack forms, the brown haired girl sticks her head out, scanning the area quickly but seeing nothing no matter how many times she goes over the scene.

About three minutes of scanning pass before Toni decides to slide her entire body out and shut the door behind herself. After a few more calming breaths, she starts walking around, bare feet silent on the gravel that covers the concrete rooftop. She doesn't dare call out though; her paranoia won't allow a single sound to escape. Even her necklace, which bounces and jingles every step she takes, lies still on her chest, reassuring her she's safe.

She rounds another corner a bit faster than when she first started walking around due to the sudden confidence surge she had after the first three minutes. Still, she doesn't allow herself to speak, or even breath loudly for that matter, until she knows she's alone. Seemingly out of nowhere, a hand clamps down on her shoulder and Toni jumps violently before instinct kicks in. She grabs the grabber's wrist and reaches behind her to grab their shirt, using whatever strength she can muster to flip the attacker over her shoulder.

The figure hits the ground with a thud and Toni backhand springs away a few yards, her nano-machines springing into action and forming two, light blue Sais in her hands. A grunt of pain comes from the figure as it sits up and rubs what Toni assumes is it's head. "I'll admit, I deserved that," an accented voice says as the mass stands, setting the girl on edge more as she switches from defensive to offensive. "But you could at least wait until you have a valid reason to hurt me before you do."

"What the hell," Toni says, lowering her weapons slightly and pondering where she's heard the voice before. The Sais are raised again and Toni takes a battle stance, glaring at the man the entire time. "Step into the light. Slowly, with your hands up," she orders.

The man raises his arms over his head and takes a few steps forward, now fully under the light of the full moon overhead. A slightly shocked gasp passes through Toni's lips before she has time to process what happened, causing her to drop her guard slightly before regaining it in milliseconds.

"Happy?" Loki asks, hands dropping slightly until they rest on his head. "I know you," he says with a small smirk at Toni's shocked face. "You're the daughter of the man with who owns this building. Stark was it?"

"You have about thirty seconds to explain yourself," Toni growls, appearing in front of him and pressing the side of a kunai knife to his throat. "What the hell are you doing out of Asgard and why the FUCK are you here?"

Loki glances down at the knife pressed to his throat then at the other in Toni's hand before a small grin spreads across his face. "Last time I was here," Loki starts, talking to her like they were having a normal conversation instead of an interrogation. "These…weapons as you call them…weren't working properly were they? Looks like you've had some free time on your hands."

"Ten seconds," the hazel eyed girl informs coldly, pressing the knife tighter to his windpipe, a small line of blood beading from under the nano-generated blade. "Start talking."

"I need help," he suddenly blurts, sighing deeply as if that took a lot of pride swallowing before he could say it. "I…need…help."

Toni falters slightly, the blade slipping from his throat as she takes a few steps back. "What?" she asks, not sure if she's hearing him correctly. "What do you mean you need help?"

_It's obviously a trap, _half of her says. _Why would he come to you for help? He's just here to kill you, then your dad, then whoever else he can get his hands on while he's here. Just end him now and everything will be SO much easier._

_ Shut up, _another part of her says. _He could really be in danger. I mean look at him. If he was really here to kill everyone, don't you think he would have killed you when he was behind you? _

The brown haired girl shakes her head to clear her thoughts again before turning back to Loki. "Why do you need help?" she says through a sigh of mild defeat.

"The Chitauri," Loki says, standing up and wiping some of the blood from his throat. "They're after me. They said I've betrayed their trust and they want to kill me."

"Then why don't you die?" Toni snaps accidentally, still angry with him for almost getting her dad killed. "Sorry," she says instinctively. "That was rude…" Another inhale for calmness, earning a raised eyebrow from Loki. "What I meant to say was why don't you just stay in the prison in Asgard? I'm sure your parents won't let anything happen to you."

The black haired man scoffs and turns his back to her, taking a few steps in the opposite direction. He stops at the edge, looking down at the people moving on the street with slightly solemn eyes. "It was their idea to send me back to them in the first place," he says softly, making Toni strain her ears to hear him. "I barely had enough time to alter the all seer's course and get me sent here."

He turns his attention back to Toni suddenly, making her tenses and tighten her grip on the knives in her hands. "I fear the Chitauri have heard of my being sent and are searching for me. If they don't find me in their realm, they will search in others, starting with Midgard."

"Before we continue this conversation," Toni says, getting lost in translation. "Would you mind defining Midgard for me?"

"Earth," Loki says quickly, raising an eyebrow again. "Did they not teach this to you in school?"

"We learned about the Solar System," she says with a small nervous shrug, her guard dropping slightly the more she talks to him. It may have been a while but she has talked to him in the past while he was being held in the helicarrier; she even played a few card games with him once she found a way to get them in the glass without him getting out. "Anyway, why did you come here when you know you're a wanted criminal here too?"

"I need you to aid me in hiding," he blurts again, another sigh of swallowed pride falling from his lips as his shoulders slump forward. He turns his attention back to Toni as he straightens slightly. "Please, tiny mortal," he practically begs, sending a small pang of sorrow in the brown haired girl's core. "I came to you because you're the only one who doesn't hate me."

_I wouldn't say that, _a part of her says. _After all, your bastard ass did try to kill you, your father, and your friends. Not to mention he destroyed your house and sent a bunch of alien punks to break everything. You also lost your big stuffed turkey in the fires didn't you?_

_ You can get another turkey, _the second half says. _You may never get another chance to help him. Plus the fact this may be the time he actually changed, and even if he didn't you know your house better than him. You can totally kick his ass if need be. Either that or you can help him change. _

_ Don't listen to that jackass, _the first one says. _That man right there is a killer, plain and simple. You should just leave him to his death. He-_

Unable to stand the constant bickering of the two sides in her mind, Toni turns and slams her head against the brick of the wall to her left. Stars fill her vision before quickly being wiped clean due to the blackness that follows, blood soon flowing from the gash she made over her right eye. Her balance is affected almost immediately and she falls to her knees, head tucked in so it's touching the cool gravel on the ground. "Damn," she growls with her eyes pressed shut. "That hurt like a bitch!"

"What was the point of that?" Loki asks calmly. "Is it some sort of mortal ritual? I've never seen anyone hit their own head willingly before though…"

"It's not," the brown haired girl mumbles once the thoughts have been silenced. "I'm just strange like this." She pushes herself back to her feet, using the wall to stabilize herself before turning her attention to the raven-haired man again. "Anyway, I don't hate you as much as everyone else does, but I'm still super pissed at you. You did stab me in the shoulder and take over my brother after all."

"Hawkeye is you brother?" Loki says, eyebrows shooting up in confusion. "You two look nothing alike."

"Not by blood," she snaps harshly, pain in her head increasing. "Besides that, you destroyed my home, a fair portion of New York and almost got my dad killed," she lists. "With that in mind, do you really expect me to say yes after that?"

"Please," Loki says again, pulling a face that makes Toni nearly burst into tears. "I promise I won't try anything to harm you or your friends and family."

Something about that face melts all the ice around Toni's heart and she sighs in defeat, not being able to stay that mad at her old friend. "Fine," she grumbles. "But you have to pinkie swear you won't try anything stupid."

"I pinkie-" His sentence is cut short as a thin pinkie is shoved in his face, confusion evident at the sudden action of the dizzy girl. It hits him suddenly and Loki loops his own pinkie around the small girls tightly. "I pinkie promise I won't try anything to hurt you or your family or friends," he says through gritted teeth, mentally slapping himself for crumbling under the will of a small mortal maiden.

"Thank you," Toni says, once again able to stand on her own without help. "Now, all you need to do is stay away from my dad and don't get caught." She wipes some blood from her eye and whistle at the sight. "That's a lot of blood… Anyway, let's get inside and I'll clean up the blood on your neck, then…well…we'll see what happens from there…"

Loki nods in agreement and follows the mortal girl around the roof then to the door to the stairs. "Oh," the hazel-eyed girl says, turning to face him with a raised finger as she opens the door. "My name is Toni, not mortal girl or small human or something stupid like that."

"Right," he says, following her down the stairs. "My apologies. I never got the chance to ask your name during the time in my confinement."

"No problem," Toni says as her voice drops to a whisper. "Anyhow, be quiet around here, my dad's in the lab and who knows what he's doing. You'll have to hang in my room until we can figure something else out, third door on the left. You go first in case we get caught. Don't stop, I'll be there in a second."

Loki creeps ahead of her and has to look around five times before Toni points him in the right direction. He never had this kind of directional issue in his old castle, which is much bigger than the tower any day. It may just be the amount of hallways and stairways all facing the same direction.

"Toni?" her father's voice calls from halfway up the stairs. "Is that you? What are you doing up?"

The brown haired girl shoves Loki forward toward the more shadowed areas of the hallways and stands caught as her father flips on a light. The black haired man barely has time to duck into the bathroom before light floods the entire room and part of the hallway.

"Oh you know," the smaller Stark says through a yawn as her eyes adjust to the sudden surge of light in her eyes. "Couldn't sleep, nightmares, the whole nine yards."

"What were you doing and why is your head bleeding?" Tony asks, lightly touching the area above the gash.

"I went up to the roof," she answers honestly, leaving out the parts about the thud and Loki. "My thoughts started clashing so I hit my head against the wall to shut them up."

"That's not healthy," the older Stark says, following the trail of blood with a raised eyebrow. "Why is there a blood trail going to the bathroom when you were going in that direction?"

Toni mentally slaps herself for forgetting she cut Loki's throat and made him bleed. She should have given him something to stop the bleeding before she sent him off. "Well daddy," she starts, pulling a suitable lie out of thin air. "I went to the bathroom when I first came in, then I went back to the roof cause I thought I dropped something, then I remembered I didn't bring anything, now I'm back again."

Tony taps his chin and nods understandably. "That would explain why there's more than one trail of blood." He turns his full attention back to his daughter, eyeing the gash and brushing a piece of gravel from the blood. "Need help getting this cleaned up?"

The younger Stark shakes her head and waves a hand dismissively. "No, no, I'm fine," she says with a small smile, trying to refocus the world around her. "I hurt myself, I better clean it up."

"If you insist," he says with another nod. The father pats his daughter's head before turning back and going downstairs. "Don't stay up too late. Remember we're going back to Malibu in the morning."

"Right," Toni says, snapping her fingers together in remembrance. "I forgot. I'm gonna clean up and hit the hay. Night daddy." She receives a grunted response as she flips off the light and rushes to the bathroom where Loki stands in the doorway. She jumps harshly at his sudden appearance and sighs. "Let's get you cleaned up first," Toni says through a breath of relief.

Loki nods and looks for a place to sit before Toni, seeing his confusion, motions for him to sit on the edge of the tub. After three failed attempts, he finally balances himself by planting his hands on either side. Toni opens a bottle of a strong smelling clear liquid and pours some on a soft looking white ball.

"This may sting a bit," she informs, stepping in front of him. "Lift your head. I need to see what I'm doing." Loki does as told and Toni examines the damage. "It's not that bad," she mutters under her breath, using her uncovered eye to look over the cut. "It's not even deep, barely even a flesh wound." She lifts the cotton ball and lightly dabs it against the cut.

Loki jerks back and nearly falls into the tub, grabbing his burning throat as to try and stop the stinging. "What the hell was that?" he asks in a near shout. "What did you put on that…. ball of fluff?"

"Ok first of all," Toni says calmly, motioning for him to keep his voice down. "It's called a cotton ball. Second, I put alcohol on it; it keeps germs out of the cut so it doesn't get infected. Now, lift your head so I can finish."

The black haired man glares harshly at the girl in front of him before sighing and uncovering his neck, lifting his chin high to allow full access. After a few more burning dabs, a cloth is set in place and another cloth is wrapped around that and fastened in place. "You, Mr. Loki, are finished," Toni says with as much joy as she can muster. "Again my room is third on the left and I'll be there as soon as I finish."

"Right," Loki says stepping out and following the girl's instructions. He enters a room that's lit only by the moonlight filtering in through the window, but it's enough for him to see by. Careful not to hit anything, Loki picks his way around the messy room and sits on the edge of the bed. After what feels like twenty minutes, Toni opens the door and yawns deeply. "Alright buddy, you're going to have to move to the floor," she informs through the yawn as she opens in one of her dresser drawers and pulls out three pill bottles. "I'll make you a pile but you can't stay up there. Dad comes in and yanks the blankets off at like noon."

"You sleep until noon?" Loki questions, pushing himself to his feet as he watches Toni dry swallow the pills. "Is that even healthy?"

"It is when you stay up all night," she says, adjusting the bandages around her forehead. "Anyway, you can take all the blankets and one pillow with you, I'll keep the sheet and the other one." She yanks the baby blue blankets from the mattress and hands them to the man, who lies down and settles quickly.

"Thank you for doing this," he remember to say once he found a spot that doesn't completely annoy him.

"Hm," Toni says, the doubled amount of medicine taking their toll on her immediately. "Good night Loki," she says groggily.

Loki raises an eyebrow at her sudden declaration of 'Grade right, monkey.' Whatever those pill were he's pretty sure they aren't supposed to work like that. After slowly translating it as it was meant to be said, Loki nods and closes his eyes. "Good night, Toni."

No response from the mortal girl and Loki takes it as an effect of the medicine she took. He tosses for a few more minutes before sighing and deciding to cast a sleeping spell on himself, making him fall asleep instantly despite the extreme uncomfort he feels.


	2. Chapter 2

**As I meant to say in the first chapter: I own nothing except Toni with an I. Everything else belongs to the rightful owner**

Toni jerks awake from her sleep instantly as the most recent of her nightmares fades from memory, frantic hazel eyes scanning the area around the room for any of the alien invaders that plagued her mind. Of course there were none and she sighs in relief, swearing aloud about her meds starting to fail. A small portion of her head throbs in agony and she winces, memories of the night before replying in her head as she presses her hands to her bandages. Her attention turns to the floor where Loki sleeps, mildly surprised that he managed to sleep peacefully for this long, she could have sworn he would have bitched until she gave up her bed.

With a suppressed yawn and a glance at the clock on the nightstand, the brown haired girl throws the sheet off and steps off the bed, careful not to make to much noise as she opens the door and ventures to the kitchen. Having memorized the exact layout of the tower, she easily maneuvers to the cabinet and pulls a small, glass cup from the shelf. After filling it to the brim with cold tap water and drinking, Toni feels her nerves settle slightly, the knots in her stomach unwinding once the water hits it. The glass is drained in record time and carefully set it in the sink once empty. After splashing a bit of the cool liquid on her face and drying it on a paper towel, she silently makes her way back to her room.

"You know," Loki says, making Toni jump harshly as he sits on the edge of her bed again. "You really should consider getting carpet on your floor. Hardwood is not only uncomfortable, but it gets terribly cold at night."

"You should invest in warning labels," the startled girl bites tiredly as she tries to soothe her racing heart while she shuts the door. "Really, a little warning would be nice before a man in weird clothes starts talking to me about carpet at three twenty five in the morning. I just about had a heart attack."

Loki scoffs and slides closer to the foot of the bed as the hazel-eyed girl reclaims her spot. "You're not nearly close enough to have a heart attack," he states as Toni rolls her eyes. "Trust me, even as a mortal, you have plenty of years before you need to worry about that."

"Right," she sighs. "Anyway, what are you doing up? You were asleep when I left a few minutes ago. What happened?"

The green-eyed man smirks at her. "Even with all the sleeping charms in the world, any being could hear the sound of your elephant feet walking around. Another reason to get carpet."

"I do not have elephant feet," Toni says wiggling her way back under the sheet that Loki sits on. "You just have hyper sensitive hearing."

Sensing her struggles, the black haired man rises from his seat slightly and Toni yanks her sheets back. She mutters quick thanks before Loki sits back down. "Why did you wake?" he asks with a raised brow. "You were sleeping so peacefully before."

This earns him a confused glare from Toni as she pulls her legs to her chest tightly. "Why the hell were you watching me sleep?" she responds, answering a question with a question in the way she knows people hate. "Creeper much?"

"I did nothing of the sort," Loki snaps, slightly angered by the fact she would even think something like that. "I meant after you took your medicine," he clarifies, reigning in his temper. "You fell asleep quickly after that and I was still awake. From the sound of your breathing, I assumed your mind was at peace."

"So now you're listening to me breathe?" Toni teases with a playful smirk that hides in the shadows. "You just get creepier and creepier with ever sentence you say, you know that right?"

The black haired man groans in annoyance and stands, nearly tripping over a discarded book in the process, and moves back to his spot on the floor. "I give up," he declares softly as he lies down. "There's no use of speaking when all you do is bend my words and use them against me."

Once again, the brown haired girl grins and lies on her stomach, peering down at Loki from the comfort of her bed. "Doesn't feel so good does it Mr. Mischief," she says lightheartedly.

Despite the feelings of annoyance that still linger in his core, Loki smirks in amusement and raises an eyebrow. "So you studied Norse Mythology have you," he says. "If so, how come you know not of Midgard and Asgard?"

Toni pulls her famous nonchalant shrug and rolls on her back to stare at the ceiling. "I studied you and Thor mainly," she explains, following a particularly nasty crack she made earlier in the week. "I kind of steered clear of anything with a lot of big words. My brain's been pretty screwed up since…" Her sentence trails off and the faint trace of smirk fades back into a frown.

Loki nods in understanding and pulls the blanket to his cover his arms. "Since the invasion," he finishes, irritated beyond belief that the comforter doesn't fit over his feet.

"Exactly," Toni says through a sigh. A slightly awkward silence falls over the two, the only sound being the faint car noises from below. Feeling uncomfortable in the quiet, the teenager groans and rolls back to her stomach to peer down at Loki. "I'm going to take a shower," she declares before rolling to the other side of the bed and stepping down. "Stay here and be quiet."

The black haired man stands quickly, careful not to hit his head on the side of the nightstand as he does. "What am I to do while you're gone?" he asks.

Toni shrugs as she grabs her towel from the back of the door and walks back to the bathroom. "I don't care," she starts as she hears Loki's approaching feet. "But don't touch anything that may explode and stay in my room." She spins around on her heel with a serious expression on her face. "Whatever you do, do NOT turn on the TV. I don't know how loud I had it, nor do I know what's on. Either way, you turn it on, we may be screwed."

The bathroom door shuts in his face and Loki stares for a few seconds before he's pulled from his small daze by the sound of running water. Not knowing what else to do, the black haired man turns and walks back to Toni's room, taking great care not to step too heavily on the hardwood he despises. As his eyes have full adjusted to the darkness of the room, he can almost clearly see around the area.

A tall bookshelf is set in the wall across from the door, the large window that filters light beside it. Across from the bed, set in the middle of the room, is a rather large and very heavy looking black rectangle. Loki assumes that to be the TV she mentioned earlier. His eyes fall on a small lump of a figure beside the bed and his dark brows furrow together in confusion.

Curiosity kicks in and he silently makes his way over to the mass, bending over and gathering it into one of his cold hands. A small and clearly amused smirk pulls the corners of his lips up as he looks over the well-worn stuffed squirrel in his hand. It was clear that this girl had a bit of a childish streak, but this surprised him quite a bit. The same girl who nearly took his head off a few hours before has a teddy bear to protect her through the night? The thought made him chuckle quietly.

"I know I probably shouldn't ask this," Toni's voice says from the doorway as Loki jumps from being caught off guard. "But what the hell are you laughing at?"

The black haired man turns with his hands behind his back and sees his host with dripping hair in a different set of pajamas, her foot tapping slowly in expectance of an answer. "Well," he starts, averting his eyes to a different spot on the floor. "I was thinking… Why does the maiden who personally told me how much the mortals have gotten stronger over the years need a stuffed animal to sleep with?" As the last words float out, Loki lifts his arm so the squirrel comes into view.

Instinctively, Toni lunges for her prized possession, but it's quickly lifted out of her reach by the mischief god, who smirks down at her. "Give it back, Loki!" the brown haired girl whispers loudly, bouncing on her tiptoes with an extended arm towards her toy. "Now!"

Loki smirks in amusement and switches arms, still holding the squirrel out of Toni's arm range. "You'll have to jump for it," he teases. "Come on, Toni. You can't possibly expect to get your friend back with such little effort can you?"

Toni smirks and drops back to her feet, no longer trying to reach her stolen toy. "I don't need effort," she says in a tone hinting foul play. "I have technology."

A glowing blue hand forms above his head and snags the squirrel from his grip, careful not to tear the head off as it does. The hand drops the stuffed toy into Toni's waiting hands before the nanomachines disappear back into her gloves. "How did you do that?" Loki asks, watching as the last of the blue dots flee back to their home. "You aren't even near the gloves that host them."

"As you said yourself, Loki-babe," she says, readjusting a loose eye on her childhood friend. "I've had some free time on my hands, time that allowed me to perfect and change the designs multiple times over the course of the two months since you left. Meaning now I can control the nanomachines with a single thought." The signature shrug pulls her shoulders up again as she brushes past Loki to set the squirrel on her bed. "Although I've been told multiple times to rethink the idea of controlling them with a thought. I kind of broke three TVs, a chandelier, ten coffee tables and half a floor of the tower during my last nightmare…."

The alleged war criminal turns to look at Toni as she stretches her arms over her head, not sure whether or not to believe she caused that much damage during a simple bad dream. Then again, this is the same girl who single handedly decapitated a Chitauri warrior and used his own head as a weapon against his allies. Nothing seemed like too much damage when she was involved.

"Oh," Toni says, pulling Loki from his thoughts as she turns to smile sweetly at him. "If you **_ever _**touch my squirrel again without prior consent, I'll rip your arms off and deliver your bleeding body to the Chitauri myself. Understand?"

Loki raises an eyebrow at the threat, gauging the severity of it. It's hard to tell due to the fact that the grin she has causes her to close her eyes, making it that much harder to read her. Not willing to take the chance of angering her, having seen her destructive power on the battlefield, the green-eyed man nods. "I understand," he says, placing a hand on his chest.

"Good," Toni says, the grin fading into a decent half smile. "Now, since we're both up, how bout we-"

"Toni?" her father calls from the stairs, making all of Toni's hair stand on edge. "You still up? Who the hell are you talking too?"

"Shit!" she hisses in fear as her father's footsteps draw closer. "Um… You really need to disappear…. How much magic mojo do you have left?"

"I know not of this mojo you talk about," Loki says with a raised eyebrow. "But I may have enough magic to charm myself from your father's sight for a short amount of time."

"Then do it," Toni says, keeping herself from having a full out panic attack by sheer willpower. "Hurry!"

Without further delay, Loki mutters a few words from a different language and a faint green hue glows around him before fading completely. "It is done," he tells her, right before Tony walks in.

"Hey, kiddo," the oldest Stark says, wiping his eye slightly from fatigue. "What are you still doing up?"

Seeing that Loki has yet to be caught by her father, she assumes his magic is working properly and mentally sighs in relief. Outwardly, she fakes a yawn and shrugs. "Had another nightmare," she says, knowing herself it's the half-truth. The first time she woke up was because Loki hit the roof. "The dream suppressors are starting to fail."

"Did you take more before you went to bed the second time?" Tony asks, crossing his arms across his chest as he leans against the doorframe. "The doctor said that they might fail if the dosage is doubled. Or were you not listening when he said that?"

Toni's head tilts to the side slightly, eyes wandering to the crack over her bed in deep thought. "Oh yeah…" she says hazily. "I forgot about that…" A smile forms on her lips and she shrugs in childlike uncaring. "Ah well, right?"

"No, not ah well," the father says firmly, wiping the smile off Toni's face and making Loki raise an eyebrow. "You know you need your sleep, and if the medicine you're on helps you do that, then you need to take responsibility and know not to double up."

A small smirk twitches on the ends of Toni's lips, making Loki's eyebrows rise higher in more confusion. "Words seem meaningless coming from the man who barely slept in a week," she comments.

Tony opens his mouth to respond, but his jaw just ends up hanging there from his lack of witty retorts. Instead, he closes his mouth and yawns. "Good point," he says. "How bout we both go to sleep, hm? After all, it's clear that we both need it. You're talking to invisible people for Pete's sake."

"You have no idea…" the brown haired girl mutters, eyes flashing to Loki for a second before locking themselves on the ground. "Anyway, I'll go to sleep if you do, deal?"

"Deal," the older Stark says with a nod and a smothered yawn. He turns and starts down the hallway, stretching his arms over his head as he does so. "Night, kid," he says when he hits the stairs.

"Night, Dad," she calls back, listening to his foot steps fade then disappear downstairs. "Okie dokie Loki," she says, turning back to her bed with an audible yawn. "You can undo your little magic trick now. You look tired."

"Indeed," the black haired man says, snapping his fingers and making himself visible to the world again. Not that it mattered anyway, he and Toni are the only people left in the room. "What were you and your father talking about when you said dream suppressors and medicine to help you sleep?" he asks, walking around her bed to his spot on the floor.

Toni sighs and turns on her other side to face the door, tightening her grip on the small suffed animal slightly. "Nothing much," she yawns. "Just an after effect of the invasion. Nightmares, sleep loss, lack of appetite, mild to severe hallucinations." It's at this point she pauses to yawn and her eyes flutter shut. "List goes on… But that doesn't matter right now," Toni says quickly to change the subject before the conversation sparks a bad memory. "What matters is sleep and getting you to Malibu without getting caught. Mainly sleep though…"

The sentence fades out and Loki knows that Toni has fallen asleep. He notes how she took her father's advice and didn't take more pills, clearly not a big fan of the nightmares that proceed. Then again, he did detect the slightest hint of fear behind her sleepy tone, a sign that they may not be normal nightmares she's having.

The black haired man shakes his head to clear the invasive thoughts and sighs from the floor, once again in the battle with the floor to find some comfort. He can see the battle is far from winnable on this most unsatisfying bare floor and groans quietly in annoyance. The sorcerer mutters more words under his breath and falls asleep, his last thoughts cursing the girl on the bed for having uncomfortable floors.

"Up and at 'em, kiddo," the voice in Loki's ear calls, hopefully not directed at him. It takes a second to remember the voice and when he does, he carefully slides under the bed to avoid being seen.

"Come on, Toni," Tony says again, grabbing and yanking the sheets from the bed itself, sparking a tired and irate grunt from the sleeping girl. "We leave for Malibu in a few hours. I already let you sleep in late enough."

Toni finally complies and sits up, a hand lifting up and scratching the side of her head. "What time is it?" she says around a yawn as he eyes adjust to the bright sunlight that filters through the cracks in the blinds. "And what do you mean you let me sleep in?"

Loki watches the man's feet venture across the floor toward the closet. "I mean it's three in the afternoon and our flight leaves in three hours," he clarifies, grabbing a baby blue suitcase from the top shelf and setting on the foot of the bed, narrowly missing his daughter's exposed toes. "I came in at eight to wake you up then, but I heard you snoring and decided against it. It's been a while since I heard you snore."

"I do not snore," Toni replies, sliding from the bed and stretching her back. "You're the one that snores Mr. Let-Me-Sound-Like-A-Freaking-Motorboat-At-Half-Pas t-Twelve."

Tony shakes his head and walks back to the door. "Right," he says sarcastically. "I'm the one who sounds like a motorboat. If that's true, you're a…whatever's louder than a motorboat."

"You can't even come up with a decent comeback," the hazel-eyed girl responds, watching her father disappear down the hall. "I win!"

"Get ready," he father calls back from halfway down the stairs. "Or Pepper will be on both our asses."

Toni smothers another yawn and sits on the bed, only to jump back up when Loki starts sliding out from his hiding spot. After she makes sure her heart didn't explode or jump out of her chest, the brown haired girl sighs and walks to her closet, now fully awake. "Again, those warning labels," she says through a slightly haggard breath. "Or you can wear a bell around your neck all the time… We should do that…"

"I'd rather not," Loki opposes as he pulls himself fully from under the bed and stretches. "The sound would get annoying after a while and I'd just toss the damned thing in the garbage pile."

"If you keep scaring me, you won't have a choice," she retorts blankly, grabbing an armful of clothes and laying them in the suitcase. "Thanks for the wake up though, I really needed it."

"Your welcome," the black haired man says, a bit unsure of what her tone suggested. He watches as she moves from her closet, the large dresser under the TV and her bag on the bed with little to no hesitation. "I wish to bathe," Loki declares as she drops three pairs of socks in the bag.

"Can't," the girl replies simply. "First, we don't have clothes for you yet, meaning you may be walking around in the same dirty stuff after you get out, making the bath seem completely pointless." She moves back to the closet and glances over her unpacked garments to decide on an outfit for the day. "Second," she says, settling on a simple pair of light purple skinny jeans and a black tank top. "My dad already thinks I took a bath earlier in the day. If the water's running and I'm wandering around out here, he'll get suspicious and go to check. Either way, you can't get a bath till we get you clothes…"

"When will that be?" he questions as she pauses to peel the bandages from her head, wincing slightly as some of the blood makes the cloth stick to the cut. He earns a slightly annoyed glance from Toni and decides to let the conversation drop, knowing that she either has a plan in her head or is making it up as she goes along, another trait he saw her perform on the battlefield. His attention falls to the unmade bed and lands on the squirrel Toni so valiantly defended. "Are you not taking your stuffed rodent with you on the trip?" he asks.

"Of course I am," she replies as if it were the most natural thing in the world. "His family needs him after all. Although I don't think he'll be too happy with going back without his uncle."

Loki's black brows knit together in confusion, as he turns to the small girl behind him. "Uncle?" he repeats as a question. "What uncle?"

"The turkey you blew up while we were fighting," she says, looking for a decent place to change. "Remember? After you got blasted back in here after you threw my dad out the window, you came after me cause I was still in the house. You shot your little staff beam at me and missed, taking out my giant stuffed turkey instead." She turns and frowns at him. "How exactly do I tell his wife that her husband was killed in a war that he wasn't even supposed to be involved in?"

"How exactly is a turkey in anyway related to a squirrel?" the black haired man asks, barely catching anything else in that entire sentence. "I mean really, how did that work?"

Toni sighs and drops the tank top on the bed. "Ok, so the turkey's grandparents are a beaver and a duck, resulting in a platypus," she starts, having memorized the entire family history she made up since the day she came up with it. "The platypus was very rebellious because she claims her parents adopted her. So the platypus went off and got with a goose and somehow ended up with a turkey and a squirrel. The goose got angry, accused the platypus of cheating and left, leaving the turkey and squirrel with the platypus to go off with the unicorn.

"The platypus turned into an emotional wreck and started beating her kids senseless in her despair and somehow got together with the horse. The squirrel and the turkey eventually ran away and their lives got better, the squirrel getting with the cat and the turkey going away with the panda. The squirrel had two kids, another squirrel and a lizard, due to some drunken accident in Vegas but that doesn't matter now. On the other hand, the turkey and the panda couldn't have kids but they didn't worry and still loved each other very much. The turkey decided to take his nephew, the squirrel and cat's child, the other squirrel, on vacation to New York with their generous host, me, while the Stark tower was being built. Then the man with the funky hat, you, came along and killed the turkey. Now this squirrel's in shock and is going to have to break it to the panda that her husband died, all the while living with the memory of his death burned into his mind for the rest of his life."

Loki's eyebrows pull together in more confusion than ever, still trying to process the entire last half of the story. "When exactly did you make this story up?" he asks once he thinks he has everything sorted out.

The brown haired girl averts her eyes back to the tank top and purses her lips. "The kids at school don't really like me," she admits, still marveling in the fact that she's allowing herself to open up to Loki so easily. "So I don't really have a lot of friends. That and the fact that dad's gone most of the time on some Iron Man mission or some fancy ass party I'm no longer allowed to go to…" A tired sounding sigh passes her lips as they pull up into a half smile. "So you can say I have a lot of time on my hands…"

"Clearly," the green-eyed man says, glancing back at the squirrel on the pillow, wondering how the girl who has no friends manages to stay so positive. When he was a child, barely any of the other children would acknowledge his presence unless Thor was with him and he was never this happy. Of course, he would always take his mind off the subject by burying himself in the library and imagining himself in the place of the hero. Maybe the stories she makes up for her stuffed animals is how she escapes from her cruel reality.

"Loki," Toni says forcefully, growing tired of trying to pull the man from his thoughts. He jumps slightly and turns to look at her, clearly hearing her that time. "I said get in the closet, I need to change."

"Why can't you change in the bathroom?" he asks, making his way to the blue painted door. "It's completely unnecessary for me to attempt to squeeze myself in this cramped area with all your other belongings."

"Can it, Grumpy," she says, pushing an armful of pants and jackets away to clear a space for her black haired guest. "I don't take that long and I'm not taking the risk of changing with you in the room."

Loki wiggles his way into the small space she made him and sits, hugging his knees to his chest to avoid being hit by the door as it closes. The darkness of the room consumes him immediately, but he doesn't mind much. It was much darker when he fell from Asgard to the places beyond the nine realms. The shoes and discarded clothes and other belongs that lie on the floor annoy him immensely though. He grabs the first thing he can and tosses it away from him, hitting the wall on the other side with a loud thud.

Outside the closet, Toni hears the thump and rolls her eyes as she pulls up the zipper on her jeans. She knows that the closet is probably the least comfortable place to be shoved in, but the least he can do is try and keep it down. After hearing another, smaller thump on the wall, the brown haired girl sighs and tugs the tank top on over her black bra and walks to the closet to retrieve the easily annoyed fugitive. "All right, Happy," she says, swinging open the door before Loki throws another shoe at the wall. "You've been released from solitary."

"Who are you releasing from solitary?" Tony asks, biting into pear as he stands in the doorway again. "And what was that thumping I heard from up here?"

Toni slams the door shut in fright and turns to her father. "Jeez, Dad," she starts, mentally apologizing for nearly crushing Loki's hand in the door. "A little warning would be nice."

"Sorry, kid," he says around a mouthful of the juicy fruit. "I'm a dad. We forfeit the need to announce our presence in exchange for an extra set of eyes and the ability to tell what you're doing before you do it. Now what are you talking to?"

A mild sense of panic envelopes the brown haired girl but she masks it with a black stare and a nonchalant shrug. "My bra," she lies, knowing that that's the only thing to keep him out of her business. "It was being bad and not hooking right, so-"

"Ok," the oldest Stark says, holding up a hand in disgust. "Ok, ew. Never in a million, billion years will I ever even consider talking about your bra issues." With that, Tony turns and walks away. "We're leaving in ten minutes under Pepper's orders. If you're not in the car by then, you're getting left."

"Right," Toni mutters, listening to the footsteps disappear down the hall then down the stairs. As soon as her dad gets out of range, Toni turns and throws the closet door open to a very stunned Loki. "I am SO sorry, Loki," she says, grabbing his arm and pulling him to his feet, away from the small closet. "I had no idea he was here and I panicked! Are your fingers ok?"

Loki nods and bends his legs in attempt to restore some of the blood flow to them. "I have been better," he admits, turning his eyes down to the green tint of Toni's eyes. "But I will survive. But please, a small warning before you attempt to mutilate my hand."

"Don't blame me!" she starts, going back to her bag and lightly placing the nephew squirrel in beside the stack of under garments. "Dad's the one who did the whole sudden appearance act. If anything, go lecture him."

"Completely unlikely as I'm not even supposed to be here," Loki responds, not catching on to Toni's sarcasm. "If I do, our entire plan is wasted."

The brown haired girl raises an eyebrow and walks to the full body mirror on the wall. "Sarcasm, dear Loki," Toni says back as she runs her fingers through her hair then deems it fit for the day. "I'd never send you out to face my father alone." A chuckle dies in her throat as she turns to the confused man beside her. "He's much worse than I am when he's mad. I always beat him though, I'm his daughter. You, on the other hand, don't stand a chance…"

"I'll keep that in mind," he says with another small nod as his stomach takes the opportunity to demonstrate the whale mating call. "It appears my mortal form requires sustenance," he says flatly.

Toni snorts and walks to her suitcase, tossing her brushing in lightly before zipping it closed. "No shit," she says, grabbing the handles and lifting it with mild difficulty. "Stay here, I'll see if I can snag you something when I come back."

"Where are you going?" he asks, watching a long handle appear from the top of the bag as it starts gliding across the floor.

"To put my bag in the car," she answers, already halfway down the hall. "Stay put, I can't have you getting caught on the first day. That would makes us both look like idiots."

Loki opens his mouth to protest, but sees it as being useless since she's not listening anymore. Off in the distance, he hears a door open then shut again. After a few seconds of silence, the door reopens and closes again; light footsteps follow but slowly trail away from the direction of the room. The black haired man raises an eyebrow and pokes his head out the door to see where Toni went.

"I assure you, sir," an unseen voice says, making Loki jump and tense instantly. "Ms. Stark is on her way to the kitchen. You have not been forgotten."

"Who are you," Loki demands, still trying to pinpoint the location of the speaker. "Show yourself you coward."

"I'm Jarvis," the voice says again, the speaker still unknown. "I am the Stark family's automated housekeeper. I'm sorry, but I cannot show myself."

"Shit!" Toni's slightly frightened voice says from the doorway. "I forgot about Jarvis… Damn it…."

"Don't worry ma'am," Jarvis says. "Your secret is safe with me. It's obvious that you feel very strongly about helping this man, unlike any other aspect of your life sadly…"

"Thanks J," the brown haired girl says with a roll of the eyes. "You're too kind. Anyhow, Loki, I snagged you a few pop tarts and a banana." She holds out the foil wrapped pastries and the yellow fruit as if a peace offering to a wild beast.

Loki raises an eyebrow at the shiny packaging and reaches for the banana. "I'll stick with this," he says hesitantly. "I don't even want to know what possibly could be held in those…pop tarts…."

"Aw come on," Toni says, tossing two packs on the bed as she tears into one herself. "You can't be picky when you live with me. Besides, cookies and cream isn't all that bad."

"I'll pass," the black haired man says dryly, already starting on the banana. "I hope you have more of these."

Toni shakes her head and takes another bite of the dry rectangles. "Nope, sorry, buddy. That's kind of why I wanted you to get into pop tarts. There's more of them." Loki opens his mouth to speak but Toni cuts him off. "Before you start ranting, I want you to know that there will be more stuff on the plane."

His jaw snaps shut and he nods again. "Good," he says before biting into his fruit. "What kind of 'stuff' exactly?"

"I don't know," Toni says with an exasperated wave of the hands. "Stuffy stuff….stuff. Edible stuff!"

"Oh yes, that does wonders to clarify," Loki says sarcastically. "I can't wait to be filled with unspecified edible stuff."

"Can it, Cow Lick," she responds with a roll of the eyes as she finishes off the pop tarts. "We'll see when we get there. I know they'll have more stuff in there than here for now but until then quit whining…. Eat your banana and be sad…"

One of Loki's brows quirks up in slight amusement at the sudden childish tone Toni's voice has taken. "That's the best comeback you can think of?" he says around a chuckle. "And my safety is in your hands?"

"What do the two have to do with each other?" the hazel-eyed girl says with another wild arm motion. "Anyway, I'm sure our time has long since ran out. We gotta go. Oh, and don't forget to charm yourself. You think you can hold it until we get to my room on the plane?"

Loki scoffs and tosses the banana peel in the trashcan behind the door. "You underestimate my abilities, young mortal," he starts. "I have more than enough energy to hold this charm."

"Great," Toni says half-heartedly. "Really, wonderful. Now say your magic mumbo jumbo and turn invisible before we get left."

The black haired man rolls his eyes at the small girl's impatience but does as told, nodding once the charm had taken effect. His host returns the nod and they both walk out into the glaring afternoon sun.

"It's about time," Pepper calls from the passenger window. "Hurry up! At this rate we're gonna miss our flight."

"Uh, no," Tony says beside her as his daughter opens the door to the backseat. "Have you forgotten who's driving here? We'll be there in no time."

Toni shuts the door after herself, making sure Loki's fully in the car before turning to her father. "In one piece, Dad," she comments as she fastens her seat belt and aids Loki in hooking his. Thank goodness her father doesn't pay much attention to what's happening in the back. "That's the main point. To get there in one piece."

"Shut it, Shorty," the oldest Stark teases dryly as he shifts into drive and starts down the road. "We'll be fine."

"That's what he said in Paris," she comments quietly to Loki. "Before he nearly killed us by opening the emergency hatch on the plane at three thousand feet in the air…"

Loki's brows furrow together in nervousness as he turns his attention to the brown haired man in the driver's seat. "And we're to trust him with our lives?" he comments aloud, not worried about being heard by anyone but Toni. "I'd rather run with the wild beasts of Asgard then…"


	3. Chapter 3

**I still don't own anything but Toni with an I **

Toni nods impatiently as she holds her plane room door open, only half listening to her father's usual rants about not coming out unless it's an emergency because he'll be doing adult stuff. The other half of her was listening to Loki question her about the food and when will it arrive. "Alright, alright," she says to her father, shutting the door until only part of her nose shows. "I get it, it's just like every other time."

"Damn straight," he says, already ordering the champagne from the plane's bar. "If you're good, this time you get to have three glasses of vodka for dinner."

"You make me sound like a dog," Toni says, rolling her eyes and opening the door a bit wider. "Anyway, Dad. I'm tired, I'll see you when we land."

Tony nods and grasps the half filled champagne glass in one hand while holding Pepper in his other. "Fine," he says, sipping the glass loudly. "Have a nice nap."

"Don't I always," the younger Stark responds sarcastically as she shuts the door. A sigh tumbles past her lips as she turns to the black haired man in front of her. "What were you saying?"

"I was asking if you had anything to eat," he says, glancing around the room but failing to notice the black mini fridge behind him. "I haven't had anything but a banana since I've arrived here."

"Well," Toni says, using a tone she might have used on a small child in the room, making Loki's brows furrow in confusion as she brushes past him to a plain black cube on the floor behind him. "Opening the mini fridge might be a good start," she says in the same tone, swinging open the fridge to show him the contents.

Fruit, milk, fruit milk and all sorts of other food line both the door and the inside of the cube, surprising Loki on how much food could actually fit. "What can I have?" he asks, eyeing the food as his stomach clenches with hunger.

"Anything," the brown haired girl says with a small yawn, walking over to the stereo on the table near the couch. "Have at it. Go nuts. Whatever else you Asgardians say…"

Loki pauses as he reaches for a bottle of water, hand lowering slightly as his eyes fall to the ground, a twinge of anger flashing through before being masked by sadness. "I am not an Asgardian," he says quietly, drawing Toni's attention away from her book of CDs. "Odin is not really my father… I'm from Jotunheim."

This time it's Toni's brows that pull together in confusion. "What's that?" she asks, setting the book aside, having made her choice. "Is that like a new realm or something?"

"Jotunheim is the realm of the Jotuns, otherwise known as frost giants," he explains. "Making me a Jotun."

Toni chuckles slightly as she turns the volume down on the music, walking over and plucking a water bottle for herself. "Very vague definition," she says. "Can you be more specific on what exactly that is?"

Loki nods and follows Toni's example on how to open the plastic bottle. "Frost giants are essentially big blue monsters that freeze and destroy everything in their path for no apparent reason," he clarifies around the top of the bottle. "I'm the son of the late ruler of those monsters…."

"So you can turn blue?" the brown haired girl says, eyes wide in wonder. "Can you show me? Could you freeze me if you wanted to? Could you freeze my enemies? Wait…that list is too long…. Could you freeze my school?"

Loki's black brows pull together in confusion again. "You want me to turn blue for you?" he asks. "Why?"

"Why not?" Toni questions, nearly spilling her water as she motions her arms wildly in excitement. "Blue is my favorite color. Plus, who else can say they saw a person turn blue right in front of them? No one, that's who!"

"This is entertaining for you?" Loki asks, a slight hurt ringing behind his words. "Is that it? I'm nothing more to you than a form of simple entertainment?"

Toni raises an eyebrow then laughs, shaking her head at Loki's expression. "Loki, a game cube is a form of entertainment," she starts. "Television is entertainment. Music is life but people still classify it as entertainment. You, my friend, are a friend. And obviously if a friend tells me that they're actually a big blue giant thingy, I'm gonna wanna see it; and maybe use it to my advantage in the near future."

Loki nods, still trying to wrap his head around the words that tumbled from her mouth like a waterfall. "So…" the black haired man says, having processed the words. "You're saying that we're friends, and it's normal for friends to show their flaws to other friends?"

"Exactly," Toni says, this time actually spilling the water in her arm movement. "If you count being blue and being able to freeze things as a flaw… I personally think that'd be awesome, but it's not about me. It's about you showing me your blue side."

The green-eyed man gives a small, curt nod before sighing nervously through his nose. He's never shown anyone his Jotun side since he's found out his true nature, fearing they would run away in fear of him. Another shaky sigh passes his lips and he focuses, feeling a colder sensation run from the tips of his fingers and spread until it covers his entire body. His now red eyes peel open slowly, not surprised to see Toni's wide eyes staring at him in shock. Now it's only a matter of time before she screams in fear.

"So…that's what a frost giant looks like," the hazel-eyed girl says, something strange swirling behind the green tint of her eyes. Loki winces slightly at how loosely she uses the term, nodding slightly as she looks him over fully. "Wow… That's…awesome!"

A black brow rises sharply in bewilderment. "Come again?" the black haired man says.

Childlike excitement pops into Toni's eyes as she practically bounces over to him. "This is amazing! The color is wonderful! The markings are beautiful to say the least! All put together by the kick ass red eyes!" She scoffs playfully as she stands on her toes to rub the markings on his forehead. "Why haven't you shown me this sooner?" she asks, beaming like a small child on Christmas morning.

"Because," the black haired man says as the blue starts to fade, still very confused about the reaction he got. "I was afraid you would judge me harshly and leave me like everyone else once they found out."

"When have I ever been the one to be like everyone else?" she asks, half dazed as she watches the red drain from his eyes, leaving the normal emerald green she's used to seeing. "I stayed with you for six hours while you were trapped on the helicarrier and played go fish with you. What about that makes me normal?"

Despite his confusion, Loki manages to smirk at the statement. "You're right," he says. "You're much too abnormal to be considered a normal human. You must be an alien."

Toni's childish laughter rings out as she bows deeply at the waist. "Thank you, Mr. Freeze," she says around laughter. "You're too kind."

"I don't get that often," he admits, replacing the top on the water before setting it on the fridge. "Most of the time I'm not even acknowledged. Everybody's too engulfed in Thor's stories of battle…"

"Well," the girl says, flopping down on the couch with a sigh. "We've got a six hour flight ahead of us and nothing else to do." She pats the couch beside herself and slides over to the corner. "Tell me stories of your triumphs in battle or magic or whatever your good at."

As always when she speaks, Loki's brow pulls up as if detecting for deceit in her words. "You're sure?" he asks, not used to having someone interested in his life. "You're not just saying that to make me feel better?"

Toni sighs and closes her eyes, a small smile playing on the edges of her mouth. "Lokikins," she starts. "If we're going to live together for who know how long, you should know that I rarely ever do anything just to make someone feel better. It's either I'm interested or I'm not. Let's face it, I'm not going to lie and say I am when I'm not. I want to hear some of the stories that weren't posted on some false page that made my entire system crash."

Loki slowly makes his way over to the couch, sitting down with a slightly amused look on his face. "What were these false stories?" he asks.

"Well," she says, dipping slightly under the weight Loki added when he sat down. "There was this one that said you turned yourself into a girl horse and had a kid because you wanted to win a bet. While I was reading it I was thinking, 'there's no way in hell that Loki would actually do that. He's too full of himself to have a kid with a horse.'" Her head turns expectantly. "Right?" A moment of silence falls as Loki's lips pull up higher, making Toni's brows rise in realization. "No way," she says around an awkward laugh. "No fucking way!"

"It's true," Loki says, laughing at her reaction.

"Loki!" Toni says, still laughing awkwardly although her volume rises considerably, showing she's starting to get over the awkwardness and turning it into actual humor. "That's so weird!"

"I wanted to experience the miracle of motherhood," he responds with a shrug, forcing back his own laughter at her childish cackles. "Besides, I won the bet, and that's all that matters."

"What really matters is the fact that you actually birthed a horse!" she roars with laughter. "That had to be awkward!"

Failing to keep a straight face, Loki falls into his own fit of laughter, enjoying the feel of being able to speak freely without judgment. Well, she is judging him, but he takes it more like minor teasing. The judgment he received on Asgard was far worse than this. Once the laughter dies down, Toni wipes a tear from her eye and turns to the black haired man beside her, tucking her legs under her to turn fully. "Got any other stories you wanna tell on this flight."

"I think I have a few," Loki replies, using his sleeve to wipe his own tearing eyes. "That is, if you're able to show a bit of maturity," he tease lightheartedly.

"Pfft," Toni scoffs playfully. "Mature is my middle name…. Ok I lied. I don't have a middle name…"

Loki chuckles quietly and leans back, almost sinking into the soft couch as he does so. "Do you want to here about time I found out how to use possession magic at the dinner table?" he asks, instantly grabbing the attention of the hazel-eyed girl. He smiles and starts the story.

The black haired man glances over at Toni, who sleeps on the other end of the couch with her head hanging limply over the side. Mentally he ponders how she's able to stay in that position without being uncomfortable, but physically he drapes one of the dark blue blankets over her shoulders and lets her sleep. Even though he finds the couch a much better bed than the hardwood floor at the Stark tower, he'd rather not fall asleep and risk exposing himself to her father. He already proved himself to be unpredictable when it came to locations.

The sun has long disappeared over the horizon, leading Loki to believe they don't have too much longer until they reach this Malibu place they talk about. That and the fact that Jarvis's voice came over the speaker and spoke of their arrival not being too long for now; ten minutes at most he said. He doesn't know how long it's been since then, though. The sound of Toni's calm breathing almost lulled him to sleep as well.

If it hadn't been for the three knocks on the door, he would have. "Toni," the older Stark says, opening the door just as Loki charmed himself from view. "Hey, Toni," he says again, crossing the floor to shake his sleeping daughter's shoulder slightly.

"Hm?" the brown haired girl says, yawning slightly as she peels a tired eye open. "What?" she asks in the same sleepy drawl. "Are we home yet?"

"Not yet," he responds, brushing a piece of hair from her face. "We're about to land though. Anyway, I'm not going straight home with you when we get to Malibu. Nick called me in and told me to hurry. Probably needs more funds for an extra toilet in the bathrooms."

Toni chuckles softly at her father's joke and nod. "Alright," she says around a stifled yawn. "I get it. See you when you get back."

"See you," he says, leaning in and placing a kiss on her forehead. "Jarvis, ready the suit. I'm leaving in a few minutes."

"As is everyone else, sir," Jarvis says, his automated voice dripping with a mild sarcasm. "The suit is ready, sir."

"Bye, kiddo," Stark says once more before shutting the door.

"Later, Dad," Toni calls, loud enough to be heard over the music that plays loudly in both rooms on the plane. A small sigh passes her lips and she lays her head back over the edge of the couch. "Hey, Loki?" she says through a yawn. "You still awake?"

"Of course," he replies, taking the charm off as his ears pop painfully. "I didn't want to take the chance of me falling asleep without putting the charm on. With our luck, your father would have walked in."

"Smart boy," she says, reaching over to pat his knee. "Always thinking ahead. I like that. We need more people like you on this team." Toni yawns deeply and sits up, rubbing her eye tiredly with the back of her hand. "How long was I asleep?"

"Well," Loki starts, straightening up a bit more. "I'm not sure the exact time. But I know it was a short time after your angry rant about the dwarves stitching my mouth shut."

"That shit was unnecessary!" she snaps, pointing a finger in the air matter-of-factly. "All you needed was a stern talking to and a swat on the bottom. Not…fucking…stitched lips! That's crazy!"

Loki holds a hand up to keep her from going further, a smirk tugging the corner of his lips up despite his trying not to. "Calm down, young Stark," he says. "The last thing we need is another one of your sleep deprived lectures on morals and such."

Toni's eyes roll to the ceiling, pondering the thought. "Actually, the last thing we need is to be told the plane's about to crash over a forest fire in the middle of nowhere…without Dad's Iron Man suit…or water….or wifi!"

One of Loki's brows rise up at the term wifi, but he doesn't question it, figuring she'll explain it later. "Right…" he says, mildly concerned about her imaginative scenario.

"Ms. Stark," Jarvis's voice says, startling both her and the black haired man beside her. "Mr. Loki. I've been told to inform you that we have arrived at you destination and that Mr. Stark has left. You're free to leave whenever you please."

"Thanks, J," Toni says, trying to steady her heart rate. "And I told you to call me Toni. Ms. Stark makes me feel old…"

"Of course, Toni," the automated voice corrects. "I forgot. I won't forget anymore. I would also like to inform you that Ms. Potts is approaching."

Upon hearing the words, Loki quickly hides himself from view as said strawberry blonde woman knocks on the door. "Toni?" Pepper calls, opening the door a crack to see the hazel-eyed girl reading a magazine.

Toni lifts her head from the random page she flipped to and smiles widely. "Hey," she says cheerily, jumping up to hug her mother figure.

"Hey," the Stark industries CEO says, returning the hug with equal enthusiasm. The blue-eyed woman holds the girl at arms distance, still smiling warmly. "We're back!" she says happily.

"I know!" Toni replies in the same manner, having to physically hold herself back from sighing in relief. Although it may prove to be a bit more difficult to hide Loki at their normal house, she's happy to not hear him complain about the hardwood floors in her bedroom. Now she just needs to find a way to buy him some clothes… "There's no place like home, right?" She inwardly winces as the words hit the air, remembering that Loki is somewhat banished from his home on Asgard.

Pepper doesn't seem to notice Toni's mood flash and continues. "I know. And you should know that as soon as you get home, it's dinner, then bath, and then bed. No questions."

The brown haired girl snaps her mouth closed, sighing at the statement. "Pepper, I'm sixteen years old. I'm pretty sure that entails me to make my own bedtime."

"Not when you've barely had any sleep in three weeks," the woman says bluntly. "And as I've said before, no questions."

"But it's only eleven," the younger Stark whines childishly, making Loki's brows rise in confusion. "I never go to bed at eleven."

"Well you do now," Pepper says, turning away and walking toward the open exit doors. "Come on, it's late. You and I both know we don't want to be out late. You're already grouchy enough."

"Am not," Toni say, nearly stamping her foot in protest. A moment of silence falls over the room and she whips around to point at Loki. "Not one word from you…"

At her words, Loki closes his mouth and turns his attention to his boots. "But you were a bit childish," he says quietly.

Toni rolls her eyes and yawns loudly. "Can it, Frosty," she grumbles, starting in the direction of the exit. "Come on."

"Your bag?" Loki says, pointing to her suitcase on beside the couch. "Are you planning on leaving it here?"

A slightly embarrassed blush tints her cheeks as she walks back and grabs her bag. "Again," she says, turning back and walking away. "Not one word."

This time, Loki's lips turn up into a full smirk, mildly entertained by her sleepy childlike attitude. "Of course, young Toni," he says, following the girl with a small chuckle. "Not one word."

The faintest trace of sunlight filters through the closed blinds in Toni's room, casting bright yellow lines across Loki's still closed eyes. He grumbles in tired protest, but opens his eyes anyway, using his hand to shield himself from going blind.

"Good morning, sir," Jarvis says, making Loki jump slightly from his spot on the floor, as he's still not used to having the air talk to him. "The time is currently nine fifty three am."

The black haired man yawns and sits up, rubbing his eye with the heel of his hand. "Good morning, Jarvis," he says, tossing the blanket aside to stand. Confusion fills his eyes as he looks at Toni's empty, unmade bed. "Jarvis?" he says aloud, addressing the open air. "Do you know where Toni has gone? I did not hear her get up."

"Ms. Stark is in the gym with her father," Jarvis responds. "So I'd recommend making yourself invisible if you're going to see her."

Loki nods and walks to the elevator, already knowing how to use it from Toni's brief lesson last night. "Thank you," he says, pressing the down button. "What floor would the gym be on?"

"That would be sublevel six," the housekeeper says. "It's the button labeled S6 if you didn't know."

"Thank you," Loki says again, stepping into the metal box and pressing the designated button. When the doors shut, he takes a moment to stretch and yawn for the first time since he woke up. Once his back pops, his arms fall and he mutters the same foreign words and the green hue glows then fades again, leaving him invisible to everyone but Toni.

The elevator dings and draws the older Stark's attention from his daughter. "What the hell," he asks as the doors slide open and no one walks out. "Jarvis? Is there something wrong with the elevator?"

"Nothing at all, sir," Jarvis responds. "I'm simply testing it for any faults. Ms. Stark was complaining about a sudden jerk she felt a couple months ago. She fixed it later that week and I wanted to make sure it was still running properly."

"That's right," Toni says, wiping some sweat from her forehead as she watches Loki walk in from the corner of her eye. "Nothing's wrong, Dad." She raises her boxing glove clad fists and smirks. "Let's finish this. I want breakfast."

"Right," Tony says, turning and raising his own gloves in front of his face. "No MMA stuff this time though. My back can't handle another throw like that."

Toni laughs and bounces on the balls of her feet, shaking her arms out at her side as she smirks at her dad. "Sorry, old man," she taunts. "I didn't know that Iron Man was so easy to defeat that he can get his butt handed to him by a teenager."

Tony frowns at her jeers, knowing that they're just to get him worked up but gets annoyed nonetheless. "You're asking for it, kid," he says, mimicking her bouncing and slowly starting to circle her. "Just asking for it."

"Oh yeah," the smaller Stark says, circling her father at the same pace. "Bring it on, Old Man."

The older Stark moves in and swings for his daughter's head, narrowly missing as she ducks under his fist. She delivers her own sharp blow to the ribs, not hard enough to break anything but enough to make him stumble. Not allowing an adequate amount time for him to recover, Toni rushes in and swings for his jaw, making Loki lean forward from his seat on the weight bench in awe at her speed. Tony ducks and moves back, using his arms to shield himself from the barrage of blows coming from his daughter.

A break in her fire appears and he takes it, dealing his own quick blow to her stomach. She coughs and he takes the opportunity to dish out his own onslaught of hits, not worried about her actually getting hurt. She's dealt with much worse during the invasion. Toni jumps back, flipping a few yards away to gather her breath. Her father doesn't relent, however, and she has to react quickly to avoid another reign of fists. Instinctively, her foot snaps out and she kicks him in the chest.

"Whoops," she mutters as her father regains his footing. "Sorry, Daddy. I don't know what happened. I guess it was instinct…"

"Right," Tony says, grabbing the ropes on the other side of the ring. "Just like this is instinct." He raises a hand and the Iron Man suit flies in, opening so that Tony can climb in easily.

"Hey, now," the brown haired girl says, backing up as the suit incases her father. "That's cheating!"

"No," the older Stark says, smirking wildly as he approaches his daughter. "This is instinct." He reaches out and picks her up like he would a dumbbell, lifting her over his head before slamming her down on the mat with an audible thud.

Toni lands on her back and starts gasping for air, getting automatically winded by the hit. "You…. stupid…. cheater!" she coughs, flopping around on the ground like fish as her dad lifts the rope and walks out of the ring. "That…doesn't…. count!"

"A win is a win," Tony says with a chuckle, knowing he didn't throw her down hard enough to actually do any damage. "We'll rematch tomorrow if you're up for it."

The hazel-eyed girl coughs out a yes and manages to lift herself to her knees, still doubled over to get air. She hears the elevator doors slide open then shut before another pair of footsteps walks over to her. Loki crouches down beside her, a slightly bemused and concerned look swirling in his eyes. "Are you alright?" he asks, watching as she pants like a dog and gathers her air back.

"Perfectly," she responds, hacking once more before sitting on her knees. "I can take much more than that any day. Besides, it's sparing. If I can't take a hit like that in the ring when he holds back, I definitely can't take a hit in the real world when people are actually trying to kill me."

"You have a point," Loki admits, watching as Toni pushes herself to her feet and coughs. "Are you sure you're alright?"

Toni nods again and rubs the back of her head. "Peachy keen," she says. "Let's go. Dad'll start getting worried if I'm not up and moving by thirty seconds."

Loki nods and follows the girl to the elevator, listening to her smother another round of coughs before she jabs the button for the main floor. "Did your father ever tell you about what the Director wanted?" the black haired man asks, recalling the conversation on the plan. "It seemed urgent."

"Right," Toni says, snapping her fingers in remembrance before shrugging uncaringly. "It's probably about you landing on the roof and all. Now I just have to act surprised when I ask and we should be fine for the next few…whenever…. Ah well."

The door slides open before Loki can respond and Toni practically jumps out, smiling happily at Pepper and Tony as they turn to her. "Oh good," her father starts, taking a sip from the coffee cup that sits in front of him. "You're up. I was starting to think I actually hurt you."

"Actually hurt her?" Pepper responds, turning to Tony with a worried expression in her eyes. "What are you talking about? I thought you two were just sparing."

"We were," Toni says, plopping down in a barstool as Loki wanders toward the living room. "Dad just took it a bit too far this time."

"In my defense," Tony chimes, raising a hand as if appealing to a court. "The move she did was declared illegal not three minutes before she used it. I had the right to retaliate."

"Not with the Iron Man suit," the brown haired girl grumbles as Pepper sets a glass of orange juice in front of her. "That was unnecessary and painful…"

Pepper's eyes dart to Tony, anger and annoyance filling them instantly. "You used the Iron Man suit on your daughter for a sparing match!?" she all but screams, making Toni's lips curl up into a smirk. "What justifies that? You could have killed her you know!"

Tony turns in his chair to face her. "I knew what I was doing," he argues, keeping his voice level. "I would never hurt her that bad. You know this."

Toni barely hears the sound of a throat being cleared over the sound of Pepper and her father arguing. Her eyes avert themselves from the glass and locate Loki. "The Director," he says, glancing at the older man.

"Right," the hazel-eyed girl says aloud, drawing the attention of the arguing adults. She turns to Tony with a false curiosity in her eyes as she lifts her orange juice cup to her lips. "What did Nick want last night, Dad?"

The older Stark shrugs and sips his coffee again. "He said something about a portal opening above our house and dropping something off. What got dropped basically disappeared as soon as it landed. Big Brother thinks it was Loki's second coming."

Toni manages to put up a convincing act of surprise, nearly spitting her juice across the room. "Really?" she says through a minor coughing fit. "Then we need to find him! He could be trying to take over the world again!"

Loki chuckles at the girl's performance, knowing full well that she too wants to laugh. He's almost amazed at her ability to act completely unaware of what's happening, and yet she's the one who agreed to help him. He may have under estimated her abilities as an ally.

"No need," Tony says, making Toni raise a bewildered eyebrow. He sips his coffee for the last time before standing, gathering his crumb littered plate and cup in his hands. "SHIELD got word from Asgard that Thor's on his way. He should be here by the end of the week."

This time Toni really does spit take her juice, nearly showering Pepper with a rain of liquid. "What!?" she asks, already seeing Loki's brows rise up in alarm. "When did they hear this? Why weren't we told until now?"

"Calm down," the man says, placing a slightly concerned hand on his daughter's shoulder. "They just got word yesterday, so they told us as soon as they could. Too bad that happened to be as soon as we got back, I had to fly all the way back to New York."

"That's not the point!" Toni shouts. "The point is Thor's coming!" False excitement pours into her voice, masking the fear that had clearly taken over the girl's emotions. "I haven't seen the big lug in so long! I thought he'd forgotten about us!"

"He's here on business, squirt," Tony says, starting off toward his room. "He may not even have time to stop by. Anyhow, I have a board meeting Pepper's making me go to in an hour. I don't know when I'll be back, so don't expect me till around dinner."

"Right, right," she says, taking another sip of juice as the strawberry blonde cleans up the stuff she spewed. "I know. See you later, Daddy."

"Don't say bye until I actually leave the house," Tony says from the doorway of his room. "It makes me feel like you're plotting my murder or something."

Toni manages a forced laugh at her dad's joke then listens as the door shuts. "Well," Pepper says, tossing the cleaning rag in the sink. "The spew has been cleaned. I'm going to get ready." She walks by and places a small kiss on Toni's head. "Be good and don't blow anything up."

The brown haired girl places a falsely offended hand on he chest, turning in her chair to watch the woman walk down the hall. "Ye of little faith," she says. The offense melts and she finishes off her juice. "Actually, I was going shopping today. A friend of mine needs some new clothes and I offered to buy."

Pepper stops by the bedroom door to flash her a smile. "How sweet," she says. "Have fun."

With that, she pushes the door open and walks in, leaving Toni and the unseen Loki alone. As soon as the door shuts, the panicked Toni jumps up and starts passing, all the held back fear flowing free. "Shit, shit, shit," she repeats as Loki walks forward. "Ok, ok, ok, calm down. Don't panic. We can do this."

Loki, who only shows a minor concern in the subject, holds up a hand and gets her to stop her pace. "Toni," he says evenly. "Everything will be fine. Heimdall has yet to find me. If he can not see me, Thor hasn't a chance of it."

The panic in Toni's eyes melts into confusion and she tilts her head to side slightly. "Who's Heimdall?" she asks.

"The gatekeeper," he clarifies. "He has powers that allow him to see everyone in any of the nine realms. Just before I landed, I put on a charm that allows me to go undetected in his sight. He can neither see or hear me while I'm under the charm."

The girl nods in understanding, though a mild confusion still swirls just beneath the green tint in her eyes. "I get it," she says slowly. "So…basically… if this Heimdall character decided to zero in on me, it'd look like I went insane and started talking to myself?"

"Pretty much," Loki says, a small smirk lingering on the edges of his lips. "Or he may suspect you of harboring me and send Thor to investigate."

"Let's hope it's the first!" Toni says loudly, gaining a sudden burst of energy that makes Loki raise an eyebrow. "Now, I shall shower and you shall wait; then we'll go shopping!"

Before Loki can respond, the hazel-eyed girl turns and darts to her room, shutting the door with a loud slam. The black haired man stands in the middle of the living room, staring at where Toni ran in mild confusion. Thirty seconds pass before Toni's door reopens and she walks out, a barely visible red tint on her cheeks. "I forgot to feed you," she says, head hanging low in embarrassment and shame. "Sorry."

Loki nods in her direction and sits in the stool she leapt from, having to retry a few times before he gets used to the low set back rest. He watches as Toni ponders what to give him before chiming his preferences. "I'll have three eggs, some bread and a slice of ham," he says, drawing Toni from her thoughts. "For drink, I'll have a glass of red wine."

"What?" Toni says as Loki's words fly over her head. "Oh! Right, right. Sorry. Um…" She moves to the fridge and peers into the egg carton. "We have two eggs," she says, setting the cardboard box on the counter. "A pack of bacon…." The fridge is closed and Toni slides to the breadbox, setting the bacon beside the eggs. "Half a loaf of bread." The girl turns to the god, a serious look plastered on her face. "And you're not touching alcohol before noon. You can have grape juice, but that's it."

Loki considers the option of simply forcing her into giving him the wine instead of taking what she gives him. After all, he knows he could easily over power the small maid if he wanted to. Then again, there's the ever-looming fact that she did allow him access into her home when he had nowhere else to go. There's also the fact that she may take the upper hand in the fight, it is her house after all. "It will suffice," he says after carefully weighing his options.

Toni nods and moves to the cabinet just below the stove, pulling out two pans and setting them on the top. She then goes back to the fridge and pulls out a container of butter, letting the first pan heat up and melt the healthy spoonful of the yellow grease over the heat. Within ten minutes, a steaming plate of food was set in front of Loki and Toni was pouring the grape juice. "Dig in," she said, setting the glass down in front of him. "It'll bet cold and eggs always get nasty when they get cold."

The black haired man nods almost hesitantly and picks up the fork, scooping up a few of the eggs and lifting them to his mouth. "Mm," Loki says, scooping another forkful of eggs. "These are surprisingly good. Where did you learn to cook like this?"

Disregarding the first comment, Toni wipes her hands on a dishtowel then tosses it aside. "Well," she says, leaning her back against the counter with her arms folded across her chest. "My mother…wasn't really the best and handling kids," she starts, looking to her feet as if they'll tell her how to word it. "Often times, I'd have to feed and take care of myself." Pause to shrug almost indifferently. "It was either catch on quick or die in her house. So I had a lot of time to learn."

"I see," Loki says, almost done with his plate. "This is delicious," he admits before sipping his juice. "You're going to be a wonderful wife when you become of age."

Toni stares at Loki in shock, allowing a few moments of silence to pass before she almost collapses with laughter. "That's a good one," she roars, clutching her stomach tightly as she falls to her knees. "Really, Frosty. That's one for the books."

Upon seeing the confusion in Loki's eyes, Toni guesses she needs to explain. "I haven't even had a boyfriend yet. Scratch that: I haven't even held hands with a boy. What makes you think an ugly potato like me can get a husband?"

The confusion in Loki's eyes deepens. "Did you just call yourself an ugly potato?" he asks, setting the empty cup down beside the clean plate.

The girl opens her mouth to respond, but nothing comes to mind. She stands there for a few seconds before she steps forward and snatches his plate, eyes cast down to the tile on the counter. "Don't question me," she grumbles, dumping the dishes in the sink before exiting the kitchen. "I'm going to take a shower and get ready. After that, we'll go shopping. Ok?"

Loki nods, standing and following the girl back to her room. He sits himself on the edge of the bed as Toni flicks on the TV. She hands him a thin black rectangle with multiple buttons. "Here's the remote," she explains. "You use these buttons to change the channel," pause to demonstrate. "And these to control the volume." Another demonstration of how the buttons work before she turns and walks off to the bathroom, snagging her towel before the door shuts and locks.

The black haired man flips through channels with little interest, stopping for a moment on a documentary on Greek Mythology. He sets the remote down and watches, interest peaking at the mention of Zeus, the god of lightning. _Thor would be displeased if he found out someone was attempting to steal his title, _he thinks with the faintest traces of a smirk on his lips. No more than ten seconds pass before he shakes his head to clear the thought, frustration washing away the curiosity instantly.

He flips the channel angrily and tosses the remote to the side, settling on a child show about a talking yellow sponge and an idiotic, stout starfish. The show makes him wish he hadn't thrown the remote away. Annoyed by the sponge, Loki turns to the large bookshelf beside the closet, looking for anything that may interest him. A thick, blue book with gold lettering draws his attention the most, causing him to rise to his feet and pull the hardback from its spot. The title reads _Eragon _and the cover illustrates an almost smiling blue dragon, making his interest grow even more.

By the time Toni gets out of the shower, Loki has almost finished the tenth chapter, unaware of the presence of the dripping mortal until she's right beside him. "That's a good book," she comments, walking to her closet and turning on the light. "The entire series is good actually."

"Pardon," Loki says, averting his eyes from the towel clad maiden. "I didn't mean to meddle in your belongings without permission. I lost the remote and grew tired of the yellow and pink idiots on the screen."

"It's fine," the brown haired girl says, pulling a pair of blue jean shorts from a nearby hanger, comparing its compatibility to a green and blue-stripped tee shirt she had laying around. "As long as it's out on a shelf or somewhere else open, I'm fine. Just don't open any closed drawers or doors." With an accepting nod, she turns and walks to her dresser, pulling out a pair of underwear and a bra before returning to the bathroom. "I'll be ready in a few minutes," she says. "You can keep reading until I get back."

Loki nods as she shuts the door, turning his attention back to the book no sooner than the door locks. The world of dragons the author created is nothing like the worlds Asgard comes up with. In fact, he finds this book more entertaining than some of the ones on his 'home.' He flips the page and almost misses the sound of Toni opening the door once again.

"Ready?" she asks, walking over to the closet again to slide on a pair of blue sandals.

"Yes," Loki says, memorizing the page number before shutting the book and setting it on the bed beside him. He pushes himself off the mattress and turns to Toni. "I am ready."

"Great," she says, turning and opening her bedroom door. "My dad and Pepper are already gone, so you don't have to be charmed anymore." She listens as he mutters a foreign word that she assumes takes the charm off as they descend the stairs that lead to the garage.

"Will you be taking the Lamborghini or the Mustang today, Ms. Stark?" Jarvis asks, making Loki jump as Toni punches in her access number.

"Mustang," she says, opening the door and walking to the bright red car. "And what have I told you about the Ms. Stark thing?"

"My apologies," Jarvis says. "Your playlist has been added to the car's stereo and your personal presets have been set."

Toni smiles and walks to the car, unlocking it with the key she snagged while they walked. "Thanks, J," she says, unlocking the rest of the doors so that Loki can climb in the passenger side. "Let, Dad and Pepper know I'm leaving then lock everything down."

"Right away," the housekeeper says. "If I may, I would recommend using actual money instead of your credit cards. Your father may be suspicious as to why you need to by clothes for a man."

"You're right," Toni says, lingering in the open door of the car as Loki buckles his seat belt. She flashes the air a smile. "Thanks again, J." With that, she slides in and closes the door, jamming the key in the ignition and starting up. Before anything else happens, she reaches over and opens the glove compartment, retrieving her wallet and setting in her lap. "License, check," she lists, looking over her shoulder as she carefully backs out. "Credit cards to get money from, check. The registration is in the glove compartment, along with the insurance card. Spare pair of nanomachine infested gloves…." She pauses and purses her lips together in thought, eyes never leaving the driveway as she pulls out of the garage. "Hey, Ice Man," she says to Loki, earning an unseen glare of annoyance. "Look in the back and see if you can find a pair of black leather gloves like the ones from before."

Noticing how the glare has no affect on her, Loki sighs and does as told, turning in his seat in order to get a better look. "I see them," he says, reaching out and grabbing them from under a blue and white jacket with stitched on panda ears. "Here you are," he says, placing them into Toni's open hand.

"Thanks," she says, holding one in her mouth while tugging the other one on, wrists hanging over the edge of the steering wheel. She repeats the process with the other one and removes her hands from the wheel for a moment to flex her fingers, not used to the way the spares fit. "I hate spares," she says aloud, trying to start a conversation. "They never fit as well."

"I know what you mean," Loki says, looking out the window at all the sights Malibu has. "I once lost a pair of trousers when I was younger. Of course, my m-" he pauses and chooses his words carefully. "Frigga had a pair just like the ones I lost. They were uncomfortable and itchy, unlike the originals."

Toni nods, listening even though her eyes scoped the road ahead. "That had to suck," she comments as they hit a red light. "And I'll ask about Frigga later. Hell, I may even ask you to do an entire lesson on Norse Mythology later. Right now, I need to know your shirt size. I'm thinking maybe a large."

Loki furrows his brows in confusion, never needing to tell anyone a specific size for his clothes. They were always hand made when he needed them. "Um…" he starts.

"Oh right," the brown haired girl says, running her fingers through her hair as the light changes to green. "I forgot, you're royalty. You don't have premade clothes. My bad." As she presses down on the gas, she reaches over and turns on the radio, changing to her playlist and letting the first song play. "We'll see when we get there then."

The black haired man nods and tunes into the music, eyes still wandering across the streets. "If you're sure," he says distractedly, focusing on a giant, yellow noodle man that flails in the wind. "Then I shall trust you."

"Good," Toni says, glancing over at him as she drives, tapping to the beat of the drums in the song. "Keep doing that and living here will be a breeze."


	4. Chapter 4

**Thanks to my readers and remember to rate and review. I own nothing but Toni with an I.**

"Mm…" Toni says, tapping her chin with her finger in thought as Loki walks out of the dressing room, sporting the newest addition to the shirts she threw at him earlier. "I think I liked the light purple on better. Yellow's definitely not your color. Go and try on the last one again, I didn't get a good look at it."

Loki grits his teeth and turns back to the small room, slamming the door so hard the entire wall shakes. It's been two hours since they've started trying on clothes, but the way Toni gives him more stuff to put on makes it feel so much longer. On the bright side, they did find out that he is a large in the tall men's section and he looks awful in the colors red, yellow, orange and pink. Naturally, all greens looked good on him, but the blues were a bit iffy. Eventually they found out that light blue looked the best out of the family.

They also found out that formal clothing fit his tastes better than what they would get at the mall, making his clothing budget rise higher than anticipated. Not that Toni minded; she could easily replace the lost funds with her next allowance. The black haired man finishes buttoning up the dark gray shirt and rolls the cuffs down as Toni instructed the first three times, fastening the button to secure them in place just at his wrists. After straightening the shirt more, Loki turns from the mirror and pulls the door open, clearing his throat to pull Toni's attention from the game on her phone.

She, as well as three other women, lift their heads and smile. "I like it," she says, jumping up to refold the collar. "The shaded colors seem to fit you really well. Which is good cause they're cheaper than the colors."

"It seems that the other shoppers agree with you," he says, glancing around at the women again, all of which turn away and act like they weren't looking. "They've been standing there for the past ten minutes."

"Well," Toni says, holding up a plain black jacket to finish off the three-piece suit he's sampling. "I'm not gonna lie, you're a pretty good looking guy." A light blush creeps on Loki's face as Toni helps him put the final piece on. "Take it as a complement that they're staring."

"If you say so," Loki says, fastening the buttons and straightening the jacket over the shirt. "I believe this is enough," he says, turning his attention to the steadily growing pile of clothes Toni plans on getting him. "After all, weren't they other places we needed to go?"

"Right," Toni says, glancing at the clock on the wall. "We need to stop by the pharmacy…" she mutters, lightly pushing him back to the dressing room. "Put your normal clothes back on and hand those to me. Leave the one's we're not getting on the rack behind the door."

Loki nods and closes the door, listening as Toni's footsteps travel back to the bench she was sitting on. He unbuttons the jacket and replaces it on the hanger he got it from before putting on his normal shirt, repeating the process with the shirt and pants. The door swings open again and he steps out, the suit draped carefully over his arm. "Ready," he says.

"Great," Toni says, jumping up and scooping up the armful of clothes and shoes from beside her. All together they're getting him eighteen shirts, nine pairs of pants, three pairs of shoes, eight jackets, five full suits, six ties and a belt. "Hey," she says, struggling to see over the high stack of clothing. "Loki…would you mind guiding me to the front counter? I can't see."

"Would you like some help?" Loki asks, grabbing the bottom of the belt and tugging it gently, leading her in the same matter he would a horse.

"No, no," she says, following the lead of the green eyed man, silently praying he doesn't make her crash into anyone. "I got it. You can carry the bags when we get them, though. If you still feel the need to help."

Loki nods but it's lost to the brown haired girl, finally reaching the deck with a red sign over it reading 'Check out' in bright red letters. "We're here," he informs, setting down the only thing he carried.

"Thank you!" Toni groans in joy, dumping the entire load in front of the stunned looking clerk. "I thought my arms were about to fall off."

"That would not be pleasant," the black haired man says as the woman starts ringing up their items. "Your blood would stain the clothes and the trip would have become pointless."

Toni rolls her eyes and rotates her shoulder. "Glad to see you have your priorities in order," she grumbles, watching the total on the screen rise with each beep of the scanner. "Clothes: first. Person who agreed to help you: second. I thought we were friends Loki…"

"Ahem," the woman says, scanning the last item in record time and showing the grand total to the two. "You're total is five thousand eight hundred forty five dollars and sixty three cent. Would that be cash or credit?" Her thin, blonde eyebrow rises in expectance, as if waiting for them to start voiding items.

A low whistle passes Toni's lips as she reaches in her pocket, retrieving a large wad of freshly printed one hundred dollar bills, making everyone in line gasp at how much money she has. "That's not too bad," she mutters, counting out the bills with little care of the stunned stares around her. "I was expecting to spend at least an even ten grand. Huh." She holds out six thousand and grabs the bags, shoving them in Loki's hands before turning to the door. "Keep the change," she calls from the entrance.

Using her free hand, Toni fishes her keys from her pocket and pops the truck, stuffing her money in her back pocket to help Loki fit everything in. Alongside the underclothing, pajamas and toiletries they got from Target and Walmart, the two have managed to spend over eight thousand dollars. "Well, Loki-babe," she says as the black haired man closes the hatch. "Looks like you're set for however long you're staying. Unless of course you hit a sudden growth spurt and outgrow everything in a day…."

The faintest traces of a smirk tug Loki's lips up as he walks around to his door on the passenger side, sliding in as it's unlocked for him. "Highly unlikely," he says, closing his door as Toni opens hers. "Seeing as I've stopped growing over twelve centuries ago."

"Since I don't feel like translating that into normal years," Toni replies, clicking her seatbelt in place before starting up the car. "I'm going to assume you mean along time ago." The car is put in drive and she pulls through the empty space in front of her, easily weaving through the parking lot until they reach the open road.

"Are we finished yet?" Loki groans, growing tired of the seemingly endless shopping trip. "I'm starting to detest mortal methods of acquiring garments."

Toni chuckles lightly and rolls down the windows, enjoying the circulation of air the car has when in motion. "I know how you feel," she says, earning a questioning glance from Loki. "When I first found out that Tony was my dad, the first thing he did was have me paraded through endless stores and making me play dress-up doll." Another chuckle slides past her lips as she throws a glance at her passenger. "You think this is bad, try doing this same thing everyday for two weeks from the crack of dawn until dinner."

"I'm sorry," Loki says, watching the world pass by outside. "How did you manage? You do not seem like the type who enjoys trying on clothes."

Toni shakes her head, flipping her indicator and turning right. "Back in the good ole days, when I was still getting used to being Tony Stark's daughter, I would do anything just to get away from him. It may not seem like it now, but we used to hate each other."

"Really?" Loki questions skeptically, eyebrow rising sharply in disbelief. "You and your father hated each other?"

"Yup," the brown haired girl says, pulling into the drive-thru of the pharmacy. "We couldn't stand each other. It may have been because I despised him for leaving me when I was young and he just didn't have time for me. So when we were together, I hated him and he was just feeding off my energy." An almost sad look flashes across Toni's face before she shakes her head and pulls forward.

"Welcome to Rite Aid," the pharmacist says through the voice box. "How may I help you today?"

"I'm here to pick up a prescription for Toni Stark," she says, pulling her drivers' license from he wallet. "Toni being spelled with an I instead of a Y.

There's a moment of silence before the voice comes back. "I need a street address," he says. "And some ID."

Toni nods and slides the laminated card under the compartment before the man pulls it away. "The address is 10880 Malibu Point, 90265."

"Alright," the man says again, returning the card through the compartment. "It checks out. And you're here to pick up all three, correct?"

"That's right."

"Ok, they'll be ready for you in just a moment."

"Thank you." Toni returns her license to its rightful place before resting her head on the back of the seat, a tired sigh passing her lips as she does. "Hurry up," she mutters after a few seconds pass. "I want a milkshake…."

Loki turns to her and raises an eyebrow again. "What's a milkshake?" he asks, looking past her to the movement inside the building.

"A milkshake is ice cream that has more milk added and is easier to drink," she defines roughly, lifting her head and turning on the radio. "I'll get you a vanilla one since you're new to the whole thing."

The speaker buzzes again and Toni's medicine is sent through the same compartment as her card was. "All right, Toni," he says as the girl collects her bottles. "See you in a month."

"Sure," Toni says, tossing the bag in the backseat before shifting into drive and pulling away. "If I don't die first…" Before Loki can respond, Toni steers the conversation in a different direction. "Hey, Frost Bite, keep an eye out for a double yellow arch on a red sign," she says. "I'm serious about that shake."

Despite his being upset about being cut off, Loki nods and does as told; scanning the rows of small buildings for the sign Toni talks about. "There," he says, pointing forward as the arches appear over the horizon. "A few meters forward to the left.

Toni sits up straighter in the seat and smiles as the restaurant comes into view, refraining herself from dancing in joy. "You see," she says, switching to a turn lane. "We make a great team." She pulls into the drive-thru lane of the McDonald's and sighs through her nose at the long line. "Fucking people," she grumbles, fanning herself with her hand. "It's too hot to be waiting in line."

"Patience," Loki says, pointing again as the line moves forward. "See. We're almost to the…. box."

"I don't know what it's called either," Toni admits, turning the volume down as they reach the order station. "But I know it's something more complicated than box."

Loki rolls his eyes as she orders their milkshakes as she called them. Thirty seconds later, a cup filled with a thicker looking milk substance is shoved in his hands, pulling him from the strange tree across the street. "What is this?" he asks, watching as Toni plucks the cherry from the top of hers.

Toni pulls the fruit from the stem and tosses it out the window. "It's the milkshake," she answers around the cherry. "What do you think it is? A revolving door?"

"It looks like milk…" Loki says, examining the liquid in the clear cup. "And what's a revolving door?"

"A door that revolves," she explains, jabbing the straw through the mountain of whipped cream on top. "And it's supposed to look like milk; hence the name milkshake. Drink it. It's amazing."

Loki raises his eyebrows as Toni reaches over, jabbing his straw in the cup. He tosses another glance in her direction and, seeing how she's not dying a painful death, decides to take a sip. His eyes widen in surprise as the sweet cream slides into his stomach. "This is good," he says, examining the cup again.

"I know," Toni says, setting her cup in the cup holder as a knowing smirk pulls her lips up. "That's why I love them. That and the fact that they're cheap and easy to make. Just don't drink too fast, you'll get a brain freeze and I refuse to hear about it… Wait…" She tosses him another glance, watching as he empties half the cup in one go. "I forgot. You're a frost giant, you don't mind the cold."

The black haired man winces at her words, still not used to how easily she throws the term around. "Right…" he says, taking another hesitant sip of the drink.

One of Toni's brows rises in confusion. "What's wrong?" she asks, keeping her eyes on the road. "You were downing the shake faster than I though possible just a second ago. What happened to that?"

"I'm just not used to people using the term frost giant so loosely," he admits, setting his cup in the holder beside hers. "On Asgard, it was almost taboo to even mention them without having something to do with war following it."

"Ugh," Toni groans, picking up her cup again and bringing the straw to her lips. "What's the big deal? You're a blue person who can freeze anything they want to. So what? It's not like you're attacking or killing anything right now. It's who you are and you can't change that. If you can't accept that fact, then you might want to look into living somewhere else, cause you can be damn sure I'm going to mess with you about it." She drinks deeply and sets the shake back into the holder, the look of aggravation still engraved on her face. "That's a good shake," she grumbles irritably.

Loki stares at her, a mixture of emotion playing behind his eyes. After processing what she said, a small smile tugs his lips and he chuckles, drawing Toni's now confused gaze. "You are truly wise beyond your years, young one," he says, folding his hands in his lap. "And you're right."

Toni nods, trying to keep a victorious smirk off her lips as she stares at the road. "Thank you," she says. "Just for that, you may have the rest of my shake if you want."

Loki's brow shoots up. "But you drank it," he responds, a mild disgust taking the place of the sadness in his tone.

"So?" Toni says, returning his confused brow rise. "I brushed my teeth this morning and I don't have any mouth diseases. You're fine."

Loki shakes his head and returns his gaze outside. "I'd rather not," he says as they pull onto the highway leading to her house.

After shooting him more annoyed glances, Toni shakes her head and snatches her cup, drink fast but not fast enough to give her a brain freeze. "Picky much," she grumbles around the straw.

Fifteen minutes of arguing pass before Toni pulls into the large garage of the house again, yanking the car into park and popping the trunk just after they pull in. "No," she responds to Loki's latest comeback as she opens her door. "As I've said before, I haven't even held hands with a boy. So the fact that you think I have other people's germs in my mouth is just ridiculous."

"Not true," Loki says, stepping out into the concrete floor as Toni opens the back, mentally cursing himself for repeatedly lowering himself to the same standards as the small mortal girl. "You are your father's daughter, are you not? Meaning you share parts of his DNA, as you mortals call it. With that in mind, drinking your drink may be like sharing a drink with your father."

Toni opens her mouth to respond, but it ends up hanging in the air at her loss for words. "Ok I'll give you that one," she states promptly, ducking under the lid to grab some bags. "You win this round, Snowman."

Loki smirks triumphantly and flicks his wrist, making the entire load of bags float in the air in an orderly line, as if attached to an unseen string. Toni's eyes widen in excitement and she turns to her guest, who directs his attention to his nails, attempting to hide his smirk at her joy. "Where are they going?" he asks, still avoid eye contact.

"In my room," Toni says, regain control over her emotions and turning to the elevator door. "Seeing as that's where you'll be staying for a while." As she jabs the button for the door, her eyes turn to address the air. "Jarvis," she calls. "No one else came in right? It's just us?"

"Yes," Jarvis responds as the elevator dings and slides open. "Your father and Pepper have yet to return from their meeting. It appears it's taking a bit longer than usual."

Toni snorts and holds the door for Loki and his army of floating luggage, hitting the number for her floor once everything is inside. "Dad's there," she starts. "Anything that has his two cents involved is bound to take longer than necessary."

"Of course," the housekeeper says, an almost chuckle dancing behind his automated tone. "Shall I inform your father of your return?"

"Nah," she responds, stepping out and tossing her shoes into a pile behind the front door. "He'll find out later. Besides, we need a good amount of time to set up Loki's spot in my closet. If Dad finds out I'm home, he may use it as an excuse to leave early."

"A valid reason, Toni," Jarvis says, making sure not to use Ms. Stark again. "Anything else?"

Toni purses her lips and thinks as she walks down the hall. "Nothing that I can think of," she responds, turning to Loki in expectance. "Do you need anything?" He shakes his head and Toni turns back to the room. "We're good, J. I'll call if we need anything." She pushes open her door and steps inside, walking over to the closet to open that door as well. "Just put them toward the back," the hazel eyed girl says, pointing to a clear spot in the very back of her large, walk in closet. "Dad doesn't go in my closet anyway," she explains, watching the army float and land lightly in the designated area. "So it's basically hiding it in plain sight."

"A good strategy," Loki responds, setting the rest of the bags down before flicking his wrist again and undoing the magic on them. "Although your bed is high enough for them to fit under if necessary."

"I thought of that," Toni says, walking over and flicking on the TV, scanning the floor for any sign of the discarded the remote. "But then I thought that you'd probably be sliding under the bed a lot when Dad decides to make surprise wake up calls. I didn't want you to slide under and the bags slide out at the same time. That would be pretty bad. Where is the damned remote?"

"Again," Loki says, aiding the small girl in her search. "You are wise beyond your years. Why do you hide it behind a mask of immaturity?"

Toni shrugs, emerging from under the bed with the remote in her hand. "I don't know, honestly," she responds, changing from the all day Spongebob marathon to another channel where Beverly Hills Chihuahua starts, making her almost squeal in delight. "I love this movie," she says, bouncing slightly from held back energy.

"Clearly," Loki says, restraining himself from rolling his eyes at her childishness. "Now that I have all the required belongings, may I take a bath?"

"Right," the brown haired girl says, snapping her fingers in remembrance. "Go get a pair of boxers and a new set of clothes, pajamas or normal clothes it doesn't matter; we're not going anywhere else today." She turns and swings out the door, disappearing down the hall before he can even respond to the first sentence. "Meet me in the bathroom when you're done," she calls. "And don't forget your soap!"

Loki nods and walks to the closet, stopping in front of his bags and crouching down. After digging through nearly all of the bags and locating the specified belongings, he stands and walks down the hall, unsure of where he's going or where Toni is. The layout of the house is nothing like the layout of the tower, her room now being all the way down the hall compared to being near the front.

"No," he hears Toni say somewhere further down the hall. He follows the voice until he spots her pacing the living room floor, holding a thin, black object to her ear. "I know, Dad," she says into the object, waving at Loki as he enters the room. "I know…. I won't… When have I ever…. All right that one time…. Ok those three times. But I've got it under control now… I'll just order something then… I have cash…. I went to the bank today…. Cause I wanted cash…. I forgot what it felt like… Yeah…. Yeah…. Ok… I won't… Love you too… Bye."

She pulls the device from her ear and presses a button, tossing it onto the couch across the room with little care about breaking it. "I'm ordering something for dinner later," the brown haired girl explains, cracking her knuckles and stretching her arms over her head. "Dad doesn't trust me with the stove after I accidentally lit a few things on fire in the past. Do you want pizza or Chinese food?"

"I've never had either," Loki responds, switching his shower items to his other arm. "It does not matter to me."

Toni makes an odd face and walks by the black haired man. "Let's get you in the shower," she says, motioning her arm in a follow me way. "We'll decide after that; if I haven't already decided of course." She walks to a door on the left hand side of the hallway, flipping on the light before entering fully. "Okie dokie Loki," the teen says, walking to the sink and open the cabinet to get him a towel and washcloth. "This is the tub," she explains, doing an eccentric arm motion toward the clean, white bathtub.

Emerald green eyes turn to the ceiling in annoyance, a sigh of aggravation following close behind. "I know what a bathtub is, Toni," Loki states. "We do have them on Asgard."

"I know," the hazel-eyed girl responds, dropping her arms to walk over to said tub. She sits down on the edge and points to the silver painted knob on the far right. "This controls the hot water." Her arm moves to the far left knob. "This controls the cold water." Finally, her arm floats and points to the knob in the middle. "That actually gets the water from here," pause to move to the spout, "to here." She lifts her arm all the way over her head and points to the showerhead above. "Understand?"

Once again, the black haired man nods. "More or less," he explains, still looking over the various knobs on the wall.

"It's a trial and error thing," Toni explains, pushing herself up and turning toward the door. "One that I'll leave you to. Have fun and good luck."

With that, the girl flints out the door and shuts it behind herself, leaving Loki alone in the large bathroom. Once she leaves, the green-eyed man turns his attention back to the bathtub fixtures. He reaches out and turns it gently, a burst of steaming water pouring from the spout instantly, making him jump slightly.

After fixing the water to a decent temperature, Loki rids himself of the three-day-old garments and steps under, making sure to pull the curtain closed to ensure no water falls on the floor. The faintest traces of a pleased smile appear on the corners of his lips as he stands and enjoys the feel of the water. A few minutes pass before he actually starts washing, using the peculiar smelling soap bar to free himself of the small amount of dirt that accumulated over time.

The fifteen minutes he actually spent under the steam felt longer when he finally stepped out. He uses the towel Toni left to dry his hair and body before dressing in the light green pajama set they bought him earlier in the day. Using his hand, Loki clears a spot in the fogged up mirror and frowns slightly at the appearance of his hair. His normally well-kept raven colored locks hang in disheveled piece in various places on his head, still dripping wet in some places. With the snap of his fingers, his hair goes back to its normal, slicked back form.

Loki nods his head in satisfaction and gathers his dirty clothes into his arms, opening the door and feeling an instant blast of cooler air hit his face. Music of some sort blares from somewhere to his right and he assumes it to be Toni's room it comes from. He follows the noise and his assumptions are proven right. Toni jumps on her bed to the rhythm of the song, singing along into her hairbrush, completely unaware of the new presence in the room. The song consists of a chorus that talks about feeling like a man as a girl falls to the ground, making Loki raise an eyebrow at the harsh lyrics.

The motions continue for three more minutes before the song fades out and he takes the opportunity to speak up. "Ahem," he says from the doorway, causing Toni to misplace her foot and tumble to the ground. It's all he can do to keep from laughing at her startled expression. "Might I inquire on what you are doing?" he asks, mirth and confusion both swirling behind the green in his eyes.

A bright red blush darkens Toni's cheeks as she stands, locking her gaze to her feet in sudden interest. "Well…" she starts, pausing to clear her throat in embarrassment. "You were in the shower and I got bored… You just happened to walk out in the midst of it…."

Loki bites his cheek to keep from laughing at her embarrassment, watching her as she shifts her weight from foot to foot. Smothering his chuckles, he nods. "No matter, it is your house. Feel free to be as uncanny and juvenile as you wish." Toni opens her mouth to respond but he cuts her off just as she has done to him in the past. "What am I to do with my soiled attire?"

The girl shoots him an irritated glare before sighing and holding out her hands. "Give 'um here," she says, wiggling her fingers in expectance. "I'll toss them in with my clothes when I wash them later today." She turns on a heel to walk to the other end of the room, but stops abruptly and turns back to him. "You saw nothing," she says flatly, making Loki raise a confused eyebrow.

With that, Toni turns and walks to the dirty clothesbasket, lifting a few pieces of her own dirty laundry and using them to bury Loki's. After she examines her work, she nods in approval. "It's like you're not even here," she comments to Loki. "Have you decided on what you want for dinner?" she asks, walking over and flopping down on her bed, using the stereo remote to lower the volume during a sudden spike.

"I have not," Loki replies honestly, folding his hand in his lap as he sits on the edge of her bed.

"Fine," Toni retorts, rolling to lie on her stomach, reaching in vain for her phone, which sits mere centimeters from her fingertips. "I'll choose…. If I could just reach my damned phone!"

Loki sighs and flicks his wrist, the motion itself going unnoticed to anyone who wasn't watching for it. The phone jumps from its spot on the bed, landing neatly in Toni's hands. The girl smiles widely and sits up, holding the cellular in the air as if it were a trophy. "I have the force!" she declares happily, catching Loki's face palm from the corner of her eye. Only then does it dawn on her that her guest used his magic, causing her to flop back on the bed. "Shut up, Loki," she grumbles, dialing the number for the only delivery place she has memorized.

Not three minutes later, Toni jabs the end button and tosses the phone across the room again, wincing slightly as it smacks the wall and hits the ground. "You know," Loki says, glancing in the direction the phone went. "Taking better care of your belongings will ensure them of a longer lifetime. Whereas carelessly throwing them around damages them and renders them useless over a short amount of time."

"But this is technology," she explains, pushing herself into a sitting position. "I can fix technology with ease. I am Tony Stark's daughter after all. It'd be an embarrassment on the family name if I couldn't fix a cell phone."

"Toni!" her father calls, interrupting Loki before he could even think of a proper response. "I know you're here. You're music's loud enough to be heard from the garage."

Toni leaps to her feet, a ghost of a smile working onto her lips. "Stay here," she instructs, bouncing to the door. "Or stay hidden if you're coming out. I'll be back." The brown haired girl turns and bounds down the hall and nearly leaps into her father's waiting arms. "Hey, Dad," she says as they both try to win the secret crush each other competition they started.

"Hey, Sprout," Tony replies, loosening his grip as Pepper walks through the door. "I see the house hasn't been burned down," he comments, releasing his daughter to hold her by the shoulder. "I take it you ordered something?"

"Pizza," Toni responds, lightly elbowing him in the ribs for the previous comment, watching as Loki walks in and takes his normal spot near the living room windows. "It's the only number I have memorized, aside from yours and Pepper's of course."

"Glad to see you have your priorities in order," the brown haired man responds, using the same words on her that she used on Loki earlier in the day. "People who take care of you: first. Pizza place: second."

"Um…actually," Toni starts, sliding over slightly to get out of his range of reach. "I memorized the pizza place's number first. I liked them before I liked either of you… Sorry…"

Tony grits his teeth, fake aggravation causing Toni to take a few more steps back. "Why you little…"

Pepper chimes in as the doorbell rings. "Pizza's here," she calls before the wrestling match started. "Someone gonna get that?"

Toni jumps forward, using her father as a springboard as she launches herself up and over him. She lands lightly on her feet and steps forward, opening the door with a slightly crumpled hundred-dollar bill in hand. "Keep the change," she says, holding out the bill as her nanomachines collect the steamy boxes. "Thanks."

Without another word, the door is shut and Toni turns back to the living room. "That was rude," Pepper scolds, making the hazel-eyed girl flinch at the motherly tone. "Apologize right now."

"He's fine," Tony interjects, walking over and snatching a pizza box from Toni's stack. "She tipped him like, what, seventy five dollars?"

"Eighty," she corrects as the nanomachines set the boxes on the counter and return to their home in her gloves. "I had a coupon. Ten bucks off of any thirty dollar or over purchase."

Tony nods and says something incomprehensible around a mouthful of pizza. "Chew and swallow before you speak," the strawberry blonde says, failing to notice Loki slinking around to get a look at the pizza, a look of mild interest pulling his brows together.

The older Stark nods at his girlfriend and finishes his bite, taking a swig of his glass of scotch before speaking. "I said that's my girl and what has she been up to today?"

"She told me she was taking a friend of hers shopping today," Pepper says, finishing off a bite of her mushroom and onion pizza. "How was that, Toni?"

Toni nods, taking a sip of her own scotch to wash down her bite. "It was good," she responds. "We got a lot of stuff. I think the grand total was eight thousand and some odd number."

"That's a lot of money for just one person," her father says. "Didn't she have some clothes before you started?"

"He," Toni corrects upon receiving a particularly nasty glare from Loki. "My friend is a he. And no, he didn't." She pauses, trying to figure out a way to tell the truth without exposing everything. "You see… he's recently been kicked out of home for some unruly behavior a few months ago. His parents claimed they bought everything and refused to give up his stuff, so basically he had to start from scratch."

Pepper's eyes soften as Toni weaves out the tale. "Oh no," she says, setting her slice down. "Does he have somewhere to stay?" she asks.

The brown haired girl nods, trying to ignore the continuing glare she feels burning the back of her head as she polishes off her last piece of pizza. "He's fine," she starts. "He's staying with a friend. Everything's going to be fine though. Don't worry." She reaches over and snags two more slices before standing and faking a yawn. "Boy am I beat. I think I'm gonna shower and hit the hay early tonight, 'kay?"

"But you have pizza?" Tony says, pointing at his daughter's plate before she can retreat down the hallway. "What's the point of having pizza if you're going to sleep?"

The brown haired girl freezes in her tracks, racking her brain to come up with a suitable comeback. Finding none, she turns to the hallway and starts walking. "Don't question me," she grumbles while Loki catches up to her.

Once the door to her room has been shut, Loki turns from his spot in the middle of the floor, still shooting daggers at Toni. "They called me a girl," he snaps. "They're lucky I didn't make their food turn to ash for that."

"It was a simple mistake," the brown haired girl says, handing the pizza plate to Loki before he could rant. "Normally girls go shopping with other girls. Not Norse gods. Now shut it and eat your pizza."

Loki continues to glower at Toni as he lifts the cheesy triangle to his mouth and takes a bite. His previous anger melts into awe as he finishes the bite. "This is amazing," he says, turning his attention to the plate.

Toni hides her smirk of victory in her drawer as she digs for pajamas. "I know," she comments. "No one can be mad while eating pizza; another reason I wanted you to eat it. I don't feel like listening to you fume." She gathers her nightclothes and underclothes then makes her way to the bathroom. "I'm in the shower. When you're done with the pizza, the remote's on the dresser or your book's on the bed. Have fun."

The black haired man nods as he finishes off the pizza, his hunger satisfied. He glances around the room for something to wipe his hands on as he sets the plate on the nightstand, settling on his bath towel when finds nothing else. With clean hands, Loki moves to the bed and picks up the book again, flipping to the memorized page and continuing from his spot.

Toni walks out twenty minutes later, smothering another yawn as she dumps her dirty clothes into the clothesbasket. "Time for bed, Reindeer Games," she says, pulling Loki from his chapter with her teasing words. "We got a long day ahead of us tomorrow."

"Oh," he says, mentally noting the page number before closing it and setting it to the side. "And what does this long day consist of?"

"Don't know," she says with a shrug, grabbing the book and replacing it on the shelf. "But it just feels busy. It might not be… I don't know."

Loki's brows pull together in confusion, standing from his spot on the bed as Toni lies down. "Then what was the point of saying it is going to be a long day tomorrow?"

Toni's mouth hangs open, searching the air for an appropriate response. Finding none after a moment, she turns and shuts off the lights, shrouding the pair in almost complete darkness. "Nighty night, Loki," she says, shutting her eyes in attempt to sleep.

"Don't you need to take your medicine?" Loki asks, carefully picking his way to his spot on the floor. A moment of silence falls on them, followed by the sound of Toni getting out of bed and making her way to her dresser again. Loki finds his elected spot and lies down, turning on his stomach so his head is facing under the bed. Another darkened mass, much like the one he saw before he picked up the squirrel, draws his interest right away. Before he can fully process the action, Loki's arm moves from under him and he plucks the toy from its spot, pushing himself up to get a better look at it.

A small, well-worn panda bear stares up at him with happy blue eyes, the stitched on smile loosened from the years of wear and tear Toni's probably put it through. "Where does this one go in your made up family tree of stuffed animals?" he asks, standing up and holding the bear in the small strip of window light.

Toni turns her head slightly, "What are you-" Her eyes lock onto the panda in Loki's hand and a slightly choked gasp of surprise passes her lips. "Where did you find her?" she asks, silently making her way to him with her arm out expectantly. "I've been looking everywhere for her."

"Obviously you haven't looked as well as you should have," the black haired man says, pulling the animal from her reach. "It was under your bed. How you missed it when you slid under there mere hours ago is beyond me."

Her green tinted eyes narrow in irritation as Toni glares at Loki. "What have I told you about touching my stuff?" she almost growls, reaching higher to grab her bear. "The threat still holds."

Loki smirks and raises the toy higher. "If I actually believed you would rip my arms off as you said you would," he starts. "I would have left this…bear…under the bed."

"Damn it, Loki," Toni says through gritted teeth, starting to bounce on the balls of her feet. "Give it back." With one final jump, she successfully grabs and retrieves her bear, a tearing sound being heard as an arm is left with the trickster god. Her mouth falls opening shock as she stares at the now empty arm socket of her friend, mind still racing to process the damage.

"Um…." Loki says, lowering the severed arm to his eye level before holding it out to Toni. "Here…."

"You idiot!" she whispers loudly, snatching the arm from him before turning to the door.

"I can fix it," Loki says, following her out the door into the hallway. "It's a simple spell and your friend will be good as new."

"You are going to fix her," the hazel-eyed girl says, setting the panda down on the kitchen counter before digging through a drawer. "And you're not using magic." Before Loki can respond, a needle and spool of red thread is shoved in his face. "You'll do it the old fashioned way."

Not wanting to argue with her, Loki nods and takes the items she holds, eyebrows furrowing in confusion. "The thread is red," he says, pointing at the spool. "Why not give me the black thread to blend it with the bear better."

"I want you to know what you did," Toni states simply, turning and walking back to her room. "Come on. I'll turn on the light in my room."

The black haired man nods and follows behind her, toy and severed arm in one hand, needle in thread in the other. As promised, Toni flips on the light and pats the bed for Loki to work. He sits down silently and begins working, using minimal magic to actually put the thread in the needle.

"Sorry about that," Toni says a few minutes later, drawing Loki from his stitching. "I overreacted way too hard. So I'm sorry."

Loki stares at her for a second before shaking his head and returning his eyes to his work. "No need," he says, pulling the thread to finish up. Once done, he snaps his fingers and the thread cuts off and knots itself. After examining the newly stitched arm, Loki nods and holds out the bear to the waiting girl. "Finished."

"Thanks," Toni says, gathering the toy in her arms and placing a kiss on its head. "Anyhow," she says, standing and setting the bear on the dresser carefully. "I guess it's time for bed now."

"Indeed," Loki says, eyeing the bear as the light shuts off. "Where does she come in on the family tree?" he asks, moving to his spot on the floor.

He hears Toni's breathy chuckles before she pokes her head over the side of the bed at him. "Are you sure you're ready for this conversation?" she asks, raising an eyebrow at the cautious face of the Norse god. "Cause it's going to be a long one."


	5. Chapter 5

**Thanks again to all my readers and followers! I love you all! Remember to review!**

Loki blinks into the darkness a few times, trying to process the final two paragraphs of Toni's animal family tree. "So," he starts when he pieces the last few thoughts together, too tired to curse himself for allowing himself to become interested. "What you're telling me is the turtle family and the penguin family are rivals because of what the octopus told the ferret?"

"Pretty much," the brown haired girl says, rolling onto her stomach to peer down at him. "You catch on quick. Normally I'd have to repeat myself at least three times before they even begin to comprehend my way of thinking."

"I can not imagine why," the Jotun says, rolling his eyes sarcastically. "You're possibly the simplest mortal being I've ever spoken too."

Toni scoffs and drops her pillow on his face, earning an annoyed glare from the guest. "Whoops," she says in the same sarcastic tone. "It slipped."

The man rolls his eyes again and hands the cushion back, a deep yawn passing his lips as she reclaims her fallen headrest. "Are you tired?" he hears Toni ask as she rolls back to lie on her back.

"A bit," he responds, turning on his side to pull the blanket higher. "We have been up for quite a while."

"That we have, Frost Bite," she replies, snuffing out her own yawn before it reaches the surface. "It's three forty-five. Let's call it a night." She doesn't receive a response and she raises an eyebrow, rolling back to the side to look at him. "Fast asleep," she mutters, reaching down to tug the blankets a little higher on his shoulders. "I thought I was usually the one who falls asleep first… Why aren't I asleep anyways?"

The hazel eyed girl rolls all the way over and lands silently on the floor, walking to the dresser and pulling her pill bottles. "They should be working," she grumbles, examining the labels under the small slit of moonlight that filters through the blinds. "Are they really failing now?" Seeing no other options, and no immediate reason not to, Toni turns and walks out the door, tossing another glance over her shoulder to see if Loki had woken up in the time it took her to move. He hadn't and Toni continues her journey through the hallway and down the stairs.

Thankfully she was right in her assumptions as Toni makes her way to the lab, still fully operational with her dad working on Number 23 of his latest Iron Man suit designs. She punches in her access code and walks in, flicking the lights a few times to draw Tony's attention from the helmet. "Hey, kid," he says, setting the mini blowtorch to the side. "What are you still doing up?"

"My meds are definitely failing," she grumbles, tossing all three pill bottles on the counter. "I haven't had a wink of sleep since I went to my room."

Tony's brows pull together as he scoops up the sleep aids. "They aren't supposed to," he mutters, opening the bottle and dumping two of the pale blue pills in his hand.

"Well they are," she responds, smothering another yawn. "So are the dream killers and the anti-anxiety meds. I almost blew up a mannequin when a jacket moved…"

A sigh of worry passes the father's lips as he sets the pill bottles back down. "I paid a helluva lot of money for them to not work," he grumbles, running a hand through his hair. "I guess we'll go back to the doctor's later in the week. I have to go to New York and run perimeter searches."

Toni shoots her father a confused look as she shoves the bottles in her shorts pocket. "Why?"

"Big Brother's all worried about the portal opening," he explains, going back to his blowtorch and mask. "He's sure that Loki's back this time, another messenger came from Asgard and told him."

"Ah," the brown haired girl says, locking her eyes on the mask as sparks fly. "Let up on the heat some," she instructs, watching as the heat turns the metal white. "At this rate it'll crack if you dunk it in water."

"Says who," Tony says, turning off the flames and picking up the helmet with the tongs. "Watch."

"Dad I-" the girl says, stepping forward as the facemask is dipped in water, steam hissing up as the cold and hot collide. An undeniable cracking sound is heard and Tony lifts the tongs, seeing a long, slender crack in the middle of his work. Toni's hand flies up to cover her mouth, hiding an 'I-told-you-so' smirk. "On that note," she says, whirling around on a heel toward the door. "I think I should leave. You look like you could use some time to yourself."

"That's a good idea," the older Stark says, looking ready to flip a table or something. "Night, Toni."

"More like morning," she corrects, earning a glare from her father. "But I'll let you have your moment. Night, Daddy." With that, the hazel eyed girl darts out of the room, nearly forgetting to open the door on her way out. The action doesn't go unnoticed and Tony laughs despite his mask breaking. Toni whips around and sticks her tongue out at her father before bouncing up the stairs, feet silent despite the hardwood they walk on.

She yawns deeper than ever once she reaches the top of the stairs and blinks hard to keep awake, failing miserably as her eyes stay closed for more than ten seconds. "Looks like the meds are working after all," she says, trudging to the couch with a smothered yawn. Sleepily, Toni reaches in her pockets and empties them of the multiple pill bottles that jab her side as she lies down. "Ten minutes," she lies to herself, sticking her feet under one of the couch pillows to keep them warm. "Then I'll go to bed…" The sentence barely hits the air before Toni's eyes fall shut and she's asleep.

A tired and annoyed groan falls from Loki's mouth as he stirs awake, eyes pressing shut tightly in attempt to remain asleep. Five minutes pass and he groans again, sorry crack at sleep failing horribly. "Toni," he grumbles, pushing himself to his knees as he rubs his eye. "We are never staying up that late again…"

No response. This sparks a slight bit a small twinge of curiosity in the black haired male, causing him to stand fully and look at the empty, unmade bed beside him. "Jarvis?" he asks, finally starting to get used to calling out to open air. "Is Toni sparring with her father again this morning?"

"Quite the opposite, actually," the housekeeper responds. "She's asleep on the couch and she's been that way since four this morning."

"I see," Loki responds, stretching his arms over his head to fully awaken himself. "Is the older Stark here?"

"Fortunately not, sir," Jarvis responds again. "Mr. Stark is in New York looking for you, along with Ms. Romanoff and Mr. Barton."

Loki nods at the familiarity of the names, remembering the two assassins from their time spent together during the invasion. "And the Pepper woman? Is she here?"

"She is in another board meeting," the automated voice says. "Shall I awaken Ms. Toni for you?"

"Not yet," the black haired man says, lightly padding from the room to the living room. "I'll let her sleep." His eyes immediately fall on the sleeping girl on the couch, eyebrows creasing slightly at how tightly she clings to the throw pillow. Brushing it off as normal Toni behavior, Loki carefully pries the pillow away from the sleeping girl, much to her sleepy displeasure, and picks her up as if she were a baby. He carries the girl, and her discarded medicine bottles, to her room and sets her in bed, pulling the sheet up to her chin as she shifts to get comfortable.

Once she's settled and the bottles are set on her dresser, the man walks back to the living room and locates the remote for the TV, switching it on and flipping to another documentary; this time about sea lions in their natural habitat. With a snap of his fingers, the Eragon book he's been reading appears in his waiting hand, already open to the memorized page. A smile touches his lips before he starts reading, occasionally glancing at the screen when something captures his attention.

He doesn't hear when Toni walks out not an hour later, a look of mild disgust on her face as she yawns deeply. "How can you watch this stuff so early in the morning?" she asks, causing Loki to leap a foot in the air and throw the book across the room. Ignoring his outburst, the brown haired girl walks around and plops on the couch beside him, gathering the couch pillow in her arms again. "I mean really? Death of cute little sea lion babies before breakfast? You must have a heart of stone or something."

"I am a Jotun," the black haired man responds, glaring harshly at the side of her head as he flicks his wrist, making the book float back into his hands. "From what I was taught, we don't mind a little bloodshed now and again."

"Doesn't matter," Toni says, snatching the remote from the couch beside him. "I'm changing it. You may have a heart of ice, but I don't."

"But I'm watching this," Loki says, snapping his fingers so that the remote flies from her hands and back on its spot beside him. "It's not polite to change the channel from something when someone else is watching it."

It's Toni's turn to glare as she reaches and retrieves the remote again. "Do I really look like one for manners?" she says, switching to an old school cartoon.

Loki blinks and the channel switches back to the sea lion documentary, earning another glare from Toni. "I'm watching this."

"You're reading!" Toni snaps, nearly jumping to her feet in her annoyance. "You can't read and watch TV at the same time!"

"You may not be able to," the green-eyed man says, turning back to his book. "But I can. Now leave it before I put a snake in your hair."

A look of pure horror flashes across Toni's face and she throws the remote to the couch, making one of Loki's dark brows rise in confusion. "You win," she says, doing nothing to clarify the sudden surrender. "I'm terrified of snakes."

"Are you now?" the man says, a devious smirk dancing on the corners of his lips. "Well then, I may be able to use this to my advantage."

Toni's green tinted eyes narrow dangerously at the guest. "You wouldn't," she retorts, the phrases coming out more like a question than a threat.

"Wouldn't I?" Loki says, a scheming look forming on his face. "I'm the God of Tricks, Lies and Mischief. No one is safe from my torment. Not even you."

"But I'm letting you stay," she reasons, still unsure on whether or not his threat is real. "If I die of fright, you'll have no where else to live."

Loki clicks his tongue. "But alas, young one," he starts, the smirk widening. "I can simply possess your father and Pepper and make them let me stay. It'll be easy since they'll be busy mourning over you."

"You're a sick bastard," Toni says, eyes now lit up with rage. "It's a wonder I've lasted this long with you."

The two have a ten second staring competition before they both lose their ability to remain serious and start laughing, Toni nearly rocking off the couch in her fit. "Ah, that was great," she says, wiping a tear from her watering eyes as they start to reign themselves in. "That was fun. We should do that more often."

"Agreed," Loki says, willingly handing her the remote. "I was growing tired of this show anyway. I don't see how mortals can stand these… documentaries."

Toni snorts and flips back to her cartoons. "Hey, you're the one who's always watching them."

Fifteen minutes of content silence pass, Toni smiling faintly at her show as Loki flips to the final chapter in the book. Both are pulled from their daze when something large hits the roof, much like when Loki first came to Stark tower. "You heard that too, right?" Toni asks, reaching under the couch cushion to retrieve the pair of gloves she hid there. "I'm not going crazy, am I?"

"You are no crazier than when we first met," Loki says, setting the book on the coffee table while shooting her an odd look. "How long have you had those there?"

"A long time," she responds flatly, slowly moving to the balcony door. "Not the point right now. Cover me, but stay back in case it's my dad."

"Young Stark!" a thundering voice calls, making Toni jump harshly in shock. "Are you home? The man of iron said you would be."

"Thor?" she hisses quietly, jumping back inside to replace her gloves. "Shit! Dad said he wouldn't be coming!" She whips around on a heel and points at Loki. "You have to disappear."

"It's been done since you put on your gloves," he informs, glaring slightly at his used to be brother's voice. "Why is he here?"

"That's what I'm about to find out," she says, pulling the glass door open and stepping out onto the concrete floor. The hazel eyed girl squints up at the roof, using her hand to shield her eyes from the glaring sun. "Thor!" she calls. "Down here!"

Thor's head pokes over the side of the roof and a wide grin plasters his lips to his ears. "Toni!" he responds happily, jumping down and landing a few feet away from the girl. The blond reaches out and pulls her into a bone-crushing hug, pressing her face against his slightly heated metal armor. "How I've missed you!" Much to Toni's relief, he releases her from the death grip to look her over, brows pulling together in mild disappointment. "You haven't grown at all since we've last seen each other. Have you been eating well?"

"I'm fine, Thor," she replies, a bright smile nearly matching the one the thunder god wears. No soon as the words leave her mouth, Thor pulls her back into the same crushing hug, lifting her off the ground so that her legs dangle in the air uncomfortably. Using the free part of her arm, Toni moves her arm to pat him awkwardly on the back. "I missed you too, Goldie Locks. But killing me is going to give you more to miss. Now please let go."

"My apologies," the golden haired man says, setting the girl back on solid ground. "I'm just happy to see you again. It's been far too long."

"It's been two and a half months," she replies, coughing slightly as air floods her lungs. "It hasn't been that long."

"Alas," he says, willing his lost hammer to his hands before sliding it into its holder on his side. "It has." Toni's brows rise in confusion and Thor explains. "Midgardian times are very different than the times on Asgard. There, nearly a year and a half has come and gone. In that time, Loki has been put on trial and sentenced for the damages and deaths he's caused due to his failed invasion."

Toni nods in understanding. "What's been decided?" she asks, false curiosity playing in her eyes. "Death? Life in jail? Community service?"

"We were going to send him back to his allies," Thor responds, shifting uncomfortably as his grin fades. "But he's managed to change his destination and got sent here instead. My father was told that he landed on top of Stark tower about a week ago, cloaking himself from Heimdall's view as soon as he arrived. Where he is now is still being determined. Your father is searching for him as we speak, is he not?"

"I remember him saying something about it last night," she says, tapping her chin in recollection. "Yeah…" Her eyes flick to him, hints of confusion evident behind the green tint. "He also told me you wouldn't be stopping by because you'd be too busy looking for Loki."

Another wide grin pulls Thor's lips up and Toni catches a barely audible groan of annoyance from the black haired man in the living room. "Why would I not come and visit? Besides, I have a gift for you," he says, reaching into one of the pouches he has on his side.

"Really?" Toni says, eyes lighting up like they would on Christmas, earning another annoyed groan from Loki. "Yay! I love gifts!"

The golden haired man laughs loudly. "I've heard. I've also heard you liked stuffed animals. So I went to the finest toy's craftsman and had him make you this." Thor opens his hands and reveals a small, stuffed snake. Toni's eyes widen to saucers and she clamps a hand over her mouth to keep from screaming. Of course, Thor translates Toni's fear as delight and his smile widens. "It is delightful, is it not?"

"Actually, Thor," she starts, taking a few steps back with her hands still fully clamped over her mouth. "It's not… You see, I'm scared of snakes."

Thor's brows pull together in confusion and he lifts the snake to his eye level. "What's so scary about this? Tis nothing but cloth and cotton."

"But snakes…" Toni starts, taking another step back. "Snakes are evil. They talk to people in their sleep and make them kill puppies."

The thunder god stares blankly for a moment before his booming chuckles pass his lips. "Your imagination is certainly different than most children your age," he says. "But I can assure you, this to will not be telling anyone to slay puppies." He takes a step forward, extending the snake as a peace offering. "Tr-"

"NO!" Toni shrieks, turning tail and bolting back into the living room. "Get that damned thing away from me!"

"Toni," Thor calls, following after her in a slow trot. "It's not going to hurt you. I promise."

Toni, who has managed to climb on top of the fridge in the kitchen, shakes her head and backs farther into the corner. "No! You speak lies! The serpent has taken over!"

"I take back my earlier statement," Loki says, unheard by his brother as he calmly watches the scene unfold. "You're insane."

Thor enters the kitchen, holding out the snake as if it were real. "He means you no harm," he reasons. "See," he lifts the toy's head slightly, "he's smiling because he loves you."

"He's smiling because he's contemplating my murder!" she shouts back, leaping from the fridge, to the counter, then out the door, managing to snag a wooden spoon to use as a weapon.

The battle lasts for a good ten minutes before Thor sighs dejectedly, rubbing the spot on his arm where Toni smacked him with the spoon. "Is there truly no way to convince you he is of no harm?" he asks, eyeing the toy sadly.

"Bring me his head on a stick," the brown haired girl says, the seriousness in her voice earning two pairs of raised eyebrows.

Thor shakes his head and replaces the snake into his pouch, much to Toni's visible relief, and sighs again. "Very well," he starts. "I shall take the gift back to the toy's smith and have him make you another. One that won't tell people to kill puppies."

Toni drops from her spot on the back of the couch and releases her spoon, running over and leaping into Thor's arms. "Thanks, Big Guy!" she says happily, eyeing the pouch for any suspicious movement. "I owe you one!"

The golden haired man laughs and returns the hug, careful not to crush her this time. "You owe me nothing," he responds, setting the girl back on the ground. "It is a gift, and gifts do not need repayment."

"This is why I love you," she says, bouncing slightly as she stretches her back. "Anyhow, aren't you supposed to be helping the others look for Loki?"

A look of remembrance flashes on Thor's face. "Thank you, young Stark," he replies, making his way back to the balcony. "I almost forgot." The god pulls his hammer from his side and smiles once again. "Until next time, young one." With that, Thor swings Mjolnir a few times before launching himself into the air.

The brown haired girl watches the god until he disappears, causing her to sigh tiredly. "Why do I feel drained every time we interact," she mutters to herself as she makes her way back into the living room.

"I must say," Loki says, making Toni jump, having forgot about her guest in her flee. "I didn't believe you when you said you were scared of snakes. I simply dismissed it as another one of your insane excuses to cause an argument. But that," he pauses to chuckle in amusement, "That was purely amazing."

"Can it, Blue's Clues," she grumbles flopping on the couch with a huff. "I feel drained… Physically and emotionally…. I need chocolate…"

Loki chuckles again and sits besides her, taking the cloak off himself as he reopens his book. "I'm impressed," he says, eyes not moving from their spot on the pages. "You move well for someone of your stature."

Toni's brows pull together in confusion. "What's that supposed to me? Am I supposed to be offended?"

"Not at all," the raven-haired man says, shaking his head slightly as he reads. "I'm simply stating facts. Normally maidens of your age and build simply use it to get an early suitor."

A moment of silence pass before Toni's brows rise in recollection, her head snapping to Loki with a slight hurt in her eyes. "Why didn't you help me?" she asks. "I was being chased by a snake and you did nothing to help. What kind of a friend are you?"

"I assumed that was how you and Thor normally bonded," Loki replies simply. "You seemed to be enjoying yourself, so I felt no need to intervene."

Toni jumps up, drawing her guest to finally lift his head from the book. "I fight for my life while being chased by my worst fear and you dismiss it as bonding?" she nearly shouts. "What part of that made it seem like I want enjoying myself?"

"My apologies," he says, setting the book aside to fully concentrate on her. "Had I known you were really afraid of snakes I would have stopped Thor."

The brown haired girl closes her eyes and shakes her head, an exhausted sigh passing through her lips. "Don't be," she sighs, yawning deeply as she sits back on the couch. "I'm tired, as always. But even so, I shouldn't take my tired rage out on you."

Loki nods and watches the girl pull her legs to her chest and lean her full weight against the armrest. "I take it a nap is in order?"

"Maybe," she responds through a yawn, eyes fluttering shut. "I don't see why I'm tired though… I went to sleep…."

"But that was four in the morning," Loki replies, flicking his wrist and making a blanket appear on her shoulders. "Sleep. You're infuriating when you're weary."

A halfhearted chuckle passes the brown haired girl's lips as she shifts under the blanket, eyes failing to reopen after her blink. "And you're no better even when you're awake," she teases, sentence trailing off as she falls asleep.

The black haired man watches the girl's chest fall into a sleep filled rhythm, turning back to his book after he assures himself that she's fully asleep. Not ten minutes later, Loki closes the book with a dull thud, finishing the thick book in record time. He snaps his fingers and the book goes back to its spot on the shelf, leaving him with nothing to do but flip through channels. He knows he could just go and get the second book from the shelf, but he doesn't know which one it is. With Toni's lack of organization, he could pick up the third or fourth book and be none the wiser.

After flipping through channels at least ten times, Loki settles on a child's show about a talking dog and a man who is clearly on some sort of hallucinogen. A mild yawn passes his lips as the show goes on, having long since lost the plotline of the story. Just before he decides to go to sleep, Toni whines pitifully beside him. His black brows pull together as he glances at her, watching for a moment as her face twists with the near soundless fear she's experiencing. Another pathetic whimper and Toni curls tighter, this time muttering terrified pleas.

It's obvious she hasn't taken her medicine; she never acts like this when she does. Loki notices how she flinches like she's been struck by an unseen force while still remaining asleep, as if whatever demons that torture her want to keep her in fear. Unable to stand the scene any longer, the god reaches over and places a hand on her forehead, noticing the cold sweat that beads on her brow. He mutters a few foreign words before a pale blue light swirls from her fingertips, sending soothing messages to Toni in her sleep.

Moments later, Toni sighs deeply and goes still, visibly relaxing under Loki's touch. The sorcerer lifts his hand and returns it to his lap, watching for a few seconds to make sure the spell worked properly. When nothing else happens, Loki nods and yawns, leaning his head back to rest on the back. Seconds pass before he too finds himself in the world of sleep.

"SON OF A FUCK!" Loki jerks awake at the sound of the harsh words, scanning the room quickly for any sign of a threat. His sleepy green eyes lock onto Toni, who hops on one foot while cradling the other in her arms. "Shit! That hurt like a bitch!" she grumbles, shifting her weight backwards so that she plops on her bottom, still holding her foot. "Damn coffee table…"

"Are you alright?" Loki asks, kneading his eye with the heel of his hand. "What happened?"

Toni winces as she bends her toe, glancing up at Loki with sorry eyes. "My bad, Lokikins," she says, biting her tongue to prevent a hiss of pain. "Didn't mean to wake you. I was just going to the bathroom and I come back and slam my toe against the leg of the coffee table." Another wince as she fiddles with the injured toe. "Son of a fuck…"

Loki slides from the couch and crouches beside the girl. "Is it broken?" he asks, watching her wiggle it back and forth, sparking another hiss of pain.

Toni shakes her head. "I don't think so," she admits. "Just hurts like a bitch." She releases her death grip on her toe and sighs.

"If that wasn't obvious before," Loki comments with a sarcastic eye roll, leaning in to get a better look at the bruised toe. "It's certainly not broken," he says, pinching the toe gently. "If it were, you'd be howling."

The toe is snatched away and Toni cradles it again. "That doesn't give you the right to pinch it!" she replies, tears welling in her eyes at the throbbing ache in her foot.

"I'm trying to help," Loki responds, reaching out for the foot again. "Let me see." He can see the hesitation in her eyes before Toni relents and extends her leg. Loki nods and takes the foot in his hand, muttering more foreign words as green tendrils of light swirl around the offended toe. Seconds later, the black haired man releases the foot and the lights disappear. "There," he says, wiggling the toe with his finger. "Feel better?"

"Much," the brown haired girl says, retaking her toe to flex it herself. Her happy, green tinted eyes flick to her healer and she smiles widely. "Thanks, Frosty. And here I thought you had nothing more to offer than a pretty face and a funny way of talking."

"You're welcome?" he responds, not sure whether or not her statement was a complement or an insult. He pushes himself to his feet and stretches. "Well then," he says, folding his arms behind his back. "What do we do next?"

"Well," Toni says, following the magician's lead and standing. "Seeing how it's already four in the afternoon and we're still in our pajamas, wanna watch a movie?"

"What is a movie?" Loki asks, raising an eyebrow in confusion as she moves toward the hallway.

"It's like a longer TV show," she explains generally, halfway to her room with Loki on her heels. "But everything is started an finished in the given length of time. Except if it's a series; like Harry Potter or Star Wars."

"I see," the black haired man says, stopping in the doorway as Toni rummages around the lower parts of the shelves. She tosses multiple items aside before holding up two almost identical thin, black cases.

"Chronicles of Narnia or Eragon?" she asks, mentally assuming the answer before he says anything. "And yes, they did make a movie out of the book you undoubtedly finished."

"Then we can watch that," he says with a curt nod. "And if I could read the second book when the movie is over?"

Toni nods and tosses the un-chosen film back on the bookshelf haphazardly. "Alright," she says, standing and pulling Eldest from its spot between Eragon and Brisingr. "And, for the record, the series is in order. This and the Vladimir Tod series are the only ones in order." She sets the book on the bed and starts out the door, tapping Loki on the arm with the sleeveless DVD case.

The black haired man raises an eyebrow at the second name before following Toni. "Vladimir Tod?" he asks as Toni walks to the DVD player. "What is that?"

"It's about vampires," she explains, switching to the right channel before setting the disc in the tray. "I can loan it to you after you finish the series you're on if you like."

Loki nods and reclaims his spot on the couch. "Thank you, Toni," he says, looking at the screen while other movie trailers play.

"Don't thank me," the girl says, skipping to the kitchen to make popcorn. "You're gonna be here a while so you're gonna need something to do while I'm sleeping or in the hospital or gone." She pops two bags then empties them both in large bowls, putting another two in the microwave prior to going back to the living room.

"It says you need to press play?" Loki says as the warm plastic bowl is placed into his hands.

"Great timing," Toni says, bouncing to the DVD player and pressing the button before bouncing to her spot beside him. The microwave beeps loudly and she groans, standing up making her way back to the kitchen. She returns with the other two bags of popcorn and shakes them. "Hey, Loki? Do you need this other bag or…" The sentence trails upon her seeing the half empty bowl in front of Loki. "I'll take that as a yes," she chuckles, setting her bag on the table and emptying Loki's into his bowl.

"Thank you," Loki says, plucking a few more pieces of popcorn from the bowl and sticking them in his mouth.

"No problem," Toni whispers as the opening credits roll. "Now shush. It's on." She pops a few pieces of corn in her mouth before focusing on the screen.

The movie is just about to enter the climax before Toni's phone blares out the chorus to _Face Down, _making both movie watchers jump harshly and nearly spill their snack. Toni checks the caller ID and jumps up with her phone in hand. "It's Dad," she says, pressing pause and sliding the screen to answer. "Hey Daddy…Yeah I'm home. I haven't even got out of my pajamas… Watching a movie…Eragon…Ok…. No…. Cause I'm watching it…. Ok…see you in a few." With that, she jabs the end button and sets her phone on the table. "Dad's almost here so you need to disappear." A childish grin pulls her lips up. "Heh, I rhymed."

"Right," Loki says, emptying his eighth bowl of popcorn before charming himself again. "It is done. Now play the movie. I want to see how it ends."

"You read the book," she retorts, pressing the play button. "You should already know how it ends."

"Nonetheless," the black haired man says, swiping a handful of Toni's popcorn before she sits down. "It's interesting how the characters in the movie are almost nothing like I envisioned them while I read."

"I agree," Toni says, taking her bowl and her seat while swatting at Loki's hand. "And don't touch my popcorn. If you want more, you can go to the kitchen and make some…"

Loki smirks around his stolen popcorn and finishes it off, using the napkin's Toni brought to wipe his hands. "But food is much better when taken," he whispers as he turns his attention to the screen.

"Theft is illegal in Midgard," Toni murmurs back, setting the bowl on the table beside her, well out of Loki's reach. "Even if it's something petty like food."

The black haired man chuckles quietly but doesn't respond; too busy focusing on the battle raging on the screen. Halfway through the clash, the porch door swings open and Iron Man walks in, mask opening to reveal a yawning Tony. "Hey, Kiddo," he says, leaning over the back of the couch to kiss the top of her head. "Still watching that movie of yours I see. I thought it would be over by now."

Toni shakes her head and plucks a few pieces of popcorn from her bowl. "Nope, I had to pause multiple times so I could make more popcorn. Then you called and I had to pause again."

"Mm," Tony grunts, grabbing a handful of his daughter's popcorn before walking to the stairs. "Make a note," he calls with his mouth full. "Number 19 is almost there. Still needs testing in altitude and water resistance."

"Noted," she says, glaring at Loki, who smirks wildly about her popcorn being stolen yet again. "I'll help tomorrow. Right now, I'm going to finish this movie and hit the hay."

"Sounds like a plan," her father calls back from the workshop. "See you in the morning."

"Right," Toni says. "Oh and the meds didn't fail after all," she shouts in remembrance. The brown haired girl jumps up from the couch and turns to Loki. "I'll be back." With that, she turns and bounces off, leaving her guest on the couch. Before long, she catches up to her dad and enters the shop with him, watching curiously as he exits the suit, sending it back to it's spot below ground with the others. "The meds didn't fail," Toni repeats, scratching the back of her head. "Just took a bit longer than normal to kick in."

"I know," the older Stark responds, pulling up the file on Number 19 on the computer, making note of the necessary upgrades and performance reports. "I saw you sleeping on the couch and decided to leave you there, you looked pretty comfy to me."

Toni's brow's pull together in confusion. "You did?" the girl asks, eyes wandering to a random space in thought. "Then how come I woke up in bed?"

The brown haired man shrugs and closes the file, turning to his daughter with his hands on the table. "Maybe you walked there in your sleep," he suggests. "Or some unseen force carried you. Like a ghost."

"Maybe," the younger Stark says with an uncaring shrug, mentally noting to ask Loki about it later. "Anyhow, Thor stopped by today and I almost died."

"Why?" Tony asks, his brows rising in confusion this time. "Did he get pissed at you or something? He's usually all mellow and stuff around you."

"Not like that," she explains. "He got me a stuffed snake toy as a gift and I freaked out." Her lips curl up in a devious smile. "I smacked the hell out of his arm with a wooden spoon though."

The father cuffs the back of his daughter's head, light enough not to really hurt her but hard enough to get her attention. "Watch your mouth," he says sternly.

"Fine," she whines, turning and walking toward the door. "I'm sorry. I'm going to bed now."

"Alright. Hey," the brown-eyed man says, snapping his fingers as he remembers something from the day. "I volunteered you as tribute to watch Jessica and Marcus's kid in a few days."

Toni stops in her tracks and whips around. "Why the he- world would you do that!?" she nearly shrieks, mentally high-fiving herself for stopping before she slipped. "You know I'm bad with kids!"

"Which is exactly why I signed you up," the billionaire starts, glancing around the shop for something to do. "One day, you're going to get married and have little Starklings of your own. Babysitting little kids will give you the experience of real world parenting."

Toni gags loudly at the mention of getting married before straightening in annoyance. "Dad, I've never even held hands with a boy. Getting married is completely out of the picture."

"I'm glad for now at least. But no matter what you say and do, you're watching the brat." Toni opens her mouth to protest, but her father holds up a hand to silence her. "That's final. Now go to bed."

The girl's jaw snaps shut upon command and she sighs irritably through her nose, turning and stomping out the door. Loki lifts his head from the remote as she walks in. "The remote does not seem to work for the DVD player," he explains, holding up the rectangle helplessly.

"We lost the DVD player remote," she explains, physically pressing the power button to darken the screen. "So we have to do everything manually for now. Anyway, let's go to bed." She viciously jabs the TV power button and starts off down the hall, failing to notice Loki's brows rising in curiosity.

He stands and follows, closing the door behind himself as Toni replaces Eldest on the shelf. "Something troubles you," he states, sitting down on the edge of the bed like usual.

Toni sighs and flops down beside him. "I have to watch someone's bratty kid in a few days," she grumbles, reaching over and grabbing her panda from the nightstand. "I hate kids…"

"As do I," Loki says through a sigh of agreement. "Maybe you can fake an illness?"

"Dad knows my tricks…" she replies, tightening her hold on the animal. "He says it'll get me real world parenting experience," she says, air quoting the sentence.

Loki nods and sighs again. "As much as it may pain you to hear this, he does have a point." Toni turns and glares at him for agreeing with her dad, but he raises a hand in reason. "Hear me out. Children are confusing and irritating and unorganized and-"

"You're not helping me or yourself, Frost Bite," the brown haired girl whines, tilting over so she flops on her side.

"But," Loki says slowly, forming the sentence in his head before truly saying it. "It's true. Watching other parents' offspring will help you build resilience against said problems. If you keep at it, then by the time you're ready to have your own family, you'll already know what to expect."

Toni remains silent for a moment, mentally weighing the words in her head. A small smile pulls her lips up slightly and she pushes herself upright again. "You're right, Blue's Clues," she admits, setting the widowed panda to the side. "As much as I hate to say, you do have a point. Not that I'll ever have a family but still, it's nice to know people have faith in me."

Loki returns the smile and stands. "It's late," he says, walking over to his designated spot. "We should retire."

"Agreed," the brown haired girl says, crawling across the bed to turn off the bedside lamp. "Nighty night, Lokikins."

"Good night, Toni," he responds, pulling the blanket over his shoulder. Silence falls but only for a moment before Loki sits up in recollection. "Have you taken your medicine?"

"Shit," he hears, followed closely behind a thrown sheet and shuffling feet. Toni pops her pills and dry swallows them, crawling back in bed with a slightly embarrassed tint on her cheeks. "Thanks. I knew I was forgetting something."

Loki only chuckles quietly in response, shifting on the carpet to get comfortable. Toni falls still and he knows the tablets have taken affect. The fight for sleep is soon won as Loki settles on his back, pulling the blankets up higher on himself before falling into a dreamless sleep.

**Sadly, i won't be updating at all next week. My mom's making me go to some camp till Thursday, then i'm babysitting and having a sleep over on Friday. I'll try to start it this weekend and next Thursday night depending on how i feel at the moment. Hopefully i'll have the next chapter up by sometime either next weekend or two weeks from now. Thanks again to my readers and remember to please review. Any and all criticism is welcomed!**

**Izzy **


	6. Chapter 6

Mirth lights up his eyes as Loki watches Toni charge her father and land a solid drop kick to his abdomen, managing to pull an umph from the man's lips. Both Starks land on the mat, but the younger one rolls sideways and leaps up, setting up in another defensive fighting posture in preparation. Her father, however, lies there gasping for breath, showing no signs of getting up any time soon. Once again, Loki finds himself in awe at the sight of Toni's flexibility, speed and strength in battle, even a petty one such as sparring.

"Ok," Tony says, still on the ground but raising his arm in the air. "Ok, I'm done. I surrender. You win. I'm tired of having my ass handed to me by a kid."

Toni laughs cheerfully as she uses the back of her arm to wipe sweat from her forehead, shooting Loki a silent victory smirk before approaching her fallen parent. She extends her hand, after yanking off the glove and tossing it aside, and pulls him to his feet. "You're getting slow, Old Man," the younger Stark teases lightly.

"Shut it, Kid," Tony says, rubbing the spot where he was kicked as they step out of the ring. "I think you bruised a few ribs…"

"I did not," Toni argues, shaking her head as she plops herself on the edge of the mat. "I didn't even kick you my hardest."

"Yeah right. You were trying to kill me and you know it." He holds a hand up to silence her protests when her mouth opens. "Don't try to deny it. I wont believe you anyway." The brown haired man turns and walks to the elevator, snagging the small white towel from the weight rack as he passes it. "I'm going to get breakfast. Come up when you're ready to apologize."

Toni throws her other glove at the closing elevator doors and it harmlessly bounces off the metal, landing on the ground with a dull thump. "I must say," Loki starts, standing from his spot near the back of the room. "That was quite impressive. If you stick to training, you may be able to best the super soldier one day."

An amused chuckle passes Toni's lips as she wipes more sweat from her forehead, using the tail of her sweat soaked tee shirt instead of her arm this time. "You're funny," she says through the laughter. "You're really funny." Her head turns to him, a look of hilarity in her eyes. "I can't beat Steve on his worst day. It's like… a garden snake trying to kill a walrus or something."

Loki's brows rise in confusion. "What is a walrus?"

"I show you a picture later," she responds quickly with a dismissive wave of the hand. "Anyway, we've sparred before, and let me tell you, I was sore for a week after. Us fighting is like watching you and Thor fight. He obviously beats me in height and strength, but I murder him in speed and agility. Plus he goes for more body attacks where I hit more pressure points and the weak areas of the muscles." She rolls her shoulder to loosen a knot that starts to form under her skin. "I slowed him down with the hits, but in the end, he knocked me out cold for about an hour."

"That sounds painful," Loki says, struggling to hold back the laughter that bubbles at the surface. "How did you manage to last?"

"Well," she starts, finishing her drink and refilling her bottle. "I dodged most of his punches; and by most, I mean about six out of every eight he threw. Lemme tell ya, those two landed punches hurt like a bitch."

"I remember all too well," the trickster responds, eyes drifting to the ceiling, almost trance-like. "We had a decent bout in Germany. His hits were nothing like those on Asgard, but they were close."

Toni almost winces for him. Just the thought of Steve actually hitting her made her ache. "Damn," she mutters, thinking of nothing else to say. "That sounds…painful. Then again, you got your revenge during the fight, right? So it all evens out!"

"I guess," he says, conjuring a towel for her to wipe her sweat on. She accepts without hesitation as Loki continues. "That was when your father came in."

This time she does flinch, continually dabbing her neck and chest with the conjured white rag. "I know that had to hurt," she comments, the faintest traces of pain churning behind her eyes. She glances to the god beside her and, upon seeing the confusion in his eyes, sighs. "I have been shot with the suit before," she explains, earning a startled expression from Loki. Setting the towel aside, Toni grabs the tail of her shirt and lifts, much to the tricker's extreme surprise.

Amongst the multitude of the other scars on her torso, a darkened, burst shaped marking stands out on her stomach, still mildly red in the centermost part. Loki's eyes grow wide at the sight and he has to refrain himself from reaching out to touch, shocked at how worn and beaten her small body has become over the years. "Dad was drunk one night," she starts, pulling Loki from his mental inquiry of how she came across such vicious lacerations. "He was attempting to take a shot at a flying watermelon at a party. But he forgot to switch from his chest beam to his hand lasers. I happened to be the unlucky son of a bitch in the way… I woke up the next day in the hospital with a foggy memory and a worried Pepper at my bedside." A mirthless chuckle is forced past her lips as she allows her shirt to fall back into place. "Good thing I was too drunk to feel anything, right?"

"That sounds terrible," the black haired man says. "How did you not snap to sobriety after the blast?"

Toni's shoulders rise and fall in false indifference, trying to keep the look of mild anger at bay. "I might have," she responds, reclaiming the rag from beside her and continuing to dab. "All I remember is pain though. Nothing much after that till I hit the hospital in the morning."

"And you stayed?" the Jotun asks. "Why? Any person in the right state of mind would have taken the opportunity to leave. You already said you two hated each other at the time, did you not?"

"I did," the hazel-eyed girl admits, averting her gaze as she fiddles with one of the blonde highlights in her hair. "But I've been through worse over the years. You saw that for yourself just a second ago."

Loki nods. "I was about to ask about the other scars if it didn't strike a nerve," he replies.

Toni scoffs flatly. "I've told the story so many times it barely matters anymore." She turns herself so that she looks in Loki's general direction, still refusing to meet his eyes. "As I've said before," she begins, continuing to twirl the highlight between her fingers. "My mother wasn't really the best at having kids. I honestly believe she just had me with my dad just to use me as a one-way ticket to fame, cause that's all she'd do. Dress me up in fancy pants shit and take me to all these expensive ass parties to shove me in front of all these important people in hope that Dad would see me, claim us and wisk us away to wonderland.

"Of course it never worked like that and she'd get depressed… Then she'd drink…. and get angry…." At this point, Toni has to screw her eyes shut and take a deep breath, forcing down the tears the burn behind her eyes at the memory.

"Do not push yourself if it makes you uncomfortable," Loki says, hesitating before placing a soft hand on her back, noting the definite flinch that shook her body. "I understand now. You need not continue."

Toni remains silent for a moment, cursing inwardly as a single tear rolls down her face. Images of life with her mother flood her mind almost instantaneously, sending more tears to her closed eyes. Another deep breath; but to no avail. The tears still linger in the ducts, stinging her eyes from the years of built up pain. Never before has she allowed herself to relive the pain of her first eight years of life, especially in the face of another person. Even her father knows not to ask anymore after her first near mental break down a few months after they started getting along.

She still worries immensely about how she can possibly tolerate letting herself talk so freely around Loki. Normally if anyone asks about her scars, she'd brush it off and say street fighting. But what about him makes her let her guard down? He was supposed to be the enemy for Pete's sake, the god of lies no one can trust. Even so, she finds herself becoming strangely relaxed in his presence. So much so that she almost needs it now. It's as if she's gotten so reliant on his being there that if he leaves, she'd break down.

Only then does she realize her body's actually starting to shake with silent tremors at the memories of her childhood. Her hands, along with her sweaty towel, move to cover her face, drying her face of the unheard sobs. "Shh," the man beside her coos, awkwardness clearly evident in his attempted caring tone. "It's ok. Calm child."

Still cursing herself for crying, Toni wipes her eyes harshly, taking more deep breaths to calm herself. "Sorry," she mutters, peeling open her tear shined eyes, locking them on the floor between her feet.

Loki shakes his head, still rubbing her back soothingly. "No, I am the one who should be apologizing. I shouldn't have brought up the topic."

"You didn't know," Toni argues, rubbing her eyes once more before tossing the towel aside. "It's not your fault."

"No child should ever have to go through that at such a tender age," Loki almost whispers, finally lifting his hand and placing it in his lap. "I am truly sorry."

To break the tension, a false, shit-eating grin parts Toni's lips as she turns her puffy, red eyes to her guest. "My childhood rocked in comparison to yours," she jokes dryly. "Your dad left you in the freezing cold during a war. At least my mom kept me."

Loki laughs lightly at her teasing words, finding no offense in her toneless voice. "I guess," he responds. "But I wasn't beaten because of my parent's anger." His eyes widen to the size of saucers as Toni visibly flinches at his words. "I'm sorry," the flustered sorcerer states quickly. "I didn't mean-"

A small hand is raised and the brown haired girl shakes her head, the ghost of a saddened smile playing on her lips. "It's fine," she says. "I know what you mean." To avoid continuing the conversation, Toni pushes herself to her feet and stretches, gritting her teeth against the knots that had time to form in her back. "Anyway, what say we get breakfast? I think Pepper said something about making pancakes this morning."

Sensing the mild desperation to end the conversation, Loki stands beside her. "I have never had a pancake before," he says, following as she enters the elevator.

Toni snorts and dabs at her eyes with the collar of her shirt, using her free hand to jab the right button. "I'm not surprised," she responds, a small bit of emotion coming back into her voice. "You haven't even had a milkshake. Now make sure you're invisible. We wont get any pancakes if you walk in and make Dad flip out."

"I never took the spell off," Loki explains as the box comes to a stop. "So I am still invisible to everyone but you."

The brown haired girl nods but remains silent as the doors slide open, her lips tugging up in a wide smile. "Who's the sixteen year old that just beat the crap out of Iron Man?" she asks to no one in particular as she steps out, arms spread overhead in a victory pose. "THIS GIRL!"

A piece of dry pancake flies from Tony's hand and smacks his daughter in the face, a smug smirk tugging at the corners of his lips. "For the record," he starts. "I'm still tired. So you only won because my game is off."

"You never had any game to start with," Toni says, plucking the pancake bit from the floor. "And you waste pancakes. That's just low."

Tony rolls his eyes and goes back to dunking bite-sized triangles of pancake into the small pool of syrup he has on the side of the plate. Pepper turns to Toni and a concerned look forms on her face. "Oh my God," she starts, moving from the kitchen over to the teen's side. "Toni, have you been crying?"

"Of course not," the genius says, jumping from his spot and walking to where everyone else is. "This one's a toughie. She doesn't…." His sentence trails off upon seeing the puffiness of her face and the redness of her eyes. "Oh…."

Pepper whirls to Tony, anger replacing the concern as she pulls Toni into a hug. "What did you say to her?" she nearly snaps at the brown haired man.

"What do you mean what I said?" Tony asks, holding his hands up in surrender. "I didn't say anything. And even if I did, she knows I was teasing."

Toni slides from Pepper's grip, smiling and laughing lightheartedly. "It's fine, Peps," she says, waving a hand dismissively. "It's just hot downstairs. Nothing emotional at all."

If he hadn't been downstairs with her, Loki might have believed her. The lie itself made sense because of the noticeable temperature difference in the two floors. But it made little to no since on why she was down there so long. He noticed how she normally took thirty seconds or less to pull herself together from the fight and get back upstairs. The heat has nothing to do with the fact she took nearly five minutes to return.

"Anyhow," Toni says before the adults have time to question the sincerity of her story. "I feel nasty and sweaty, so I'm going to shower. Bye guys!" With that, she turns and darts down the hall, leaving everyone in the living room with a confused look on their face. Loki snaps his fingers and appears in Toni's room, surprised at the fact that she already has the shower water running. A small part of him wonders if she's actually in the shower or just letting it run while she does other things.

He shakes his head to clear the thought and walks to the bookshelf, plucking the red covered book from its spot on the shelf, right between _Eragon_ and _Brisingr_ as Toni said. The black haired man flips to the first page and begins reading, eyes not moving from the words as he glides silently to the edge of the bed and sits. Fifteen minutes pass and Toni opens the door, fully dressed and unsurprised at Loki's almost sudden appearance. It's almost as if she expects him now.

"I see you've found the second book," she says, pulling said Jotun from the book in his hands. "I told you the series was in order, didn't I?"

"That you did," Loki responds, closing the book and setting it on the bed beside him. "It is an incredible series for something made by Midgardians," he jokes teasingly.

Toni scoffs in the same manner and tosses the sweat-covered garbs in the empty dirt clothesbasket, mentally reminding herself to get the clean clothes from the dryer. "I was made by Midgardians," she retorts, pulling some sort of eccentric pose, arms high above her head and hip jutting out awkwardly. "I think I came out ok!"

Loki laughs loudly, by his standards, and shakes his head. "If you are what mortals think acceptable, then your entire race is doomed."

Once again, Toni scoffs in mock offense, using the first thing she can reach to throw at him; in this case it happened to be a CD album book. Despite the flimsiness of the small, paper book, it flies far and nearly hits Loki in the head. If it hadn't been for the green flames that quickly consumed it and left nothing in its wake, it would have. From his unchanged spot on the bed, Loki laughs lightly and snaps his fingers, causing the book to reform in his hands, no indication of the fire whatsoever. "You're going to have to do better than that," he says through a wide smirk. "I applaud your attempt, though."

Toni rolls her eyes in mild annoyance. "Not everyone has the super star powers you do," she grumbles. "Making it difficult to do anything with you. Although I'll bet anything you're awesome at hide and seek."

"Toni!" the older Stark calls, cutting Loki off before he could respond. "Get out here, I'm about to leave."

"Coming!" she calls back, running her fingers through her still damp hair a few times before darting out the door. Being used to her usual running out acts, Loki stands and follows, depositing the small book on the nightstand Toni got it from. "UNCLE BRUCE!" Toni screams from halfway down the hallway, throwing her hands in the air before finishing her mad dash to the living room. "STEVE!"

The graying haired man barely has enough time to process her voice before Toni throws herself in his arms. Bruce stumbles back a bit, using the wall behind him to stabilize himself. Once he's able to stand properly, a smile forms on his lips and he warps his arms around his self-dubbed niece's back. "Hey, Toni," he says around a small laugh. "How've you been?"

"I've been amazing," she says, releasing her grip on the other scientist to attack hug the super solider beside him. "I've missed you!"

"We've missed you too, short stack," Steve responds, hugging the girl tightly. "You seem smaller than the last time we've met," he comments, letting her go as she coughs for air. "Have you been eating?"

"You know," she says, still coughing and rolling her sore shoulders. "Thor said the same thing the other day. Why everyone picked this time to actually start visiting is a mystery to me."

Bruce holds up a small Wal-Mart bag full of movies, popcorn and other assorted snacks. "It's our Paranormal Activity movie marathon," he answers, holding the bag out to her. "Tony said tonight would be a good night since he and Pepper are going out on a date."

"Exactly," the father says, pulling his daughter to his side for an awkward hug. "I'm not crazy enough to put my already screwed up mind through another round of nightmare inducing crap. Why Toni's doing it when she's already on a boatload of pills is something I've learned not to question."

"Three pills is not a boatload," the young Stark says, elbowing her dad in the side playfully. "Besides, I like horror movies. They make my life seem that much better in comparison."

"If you say so," Tony says, rubbing his injured ribs with his free arm. "Anyway, we'll be off now. You probably want to start the movies as soon as possible right? Good." He leans down and places a quick kiss on the top of his daughter's head before snagging his jacket from the chair behind him. "Be good and don't light anything on fire."

The strawberry blonde woman smiles and quickly kisses the top of Toni's head as well, taking Tony's extended arm and walking toward the door. "Bye guys," she says. "Don't wait up. And no sugar for Toni after ten."

"You're no fun!" Toni calls childishly as the door shuts. She sighs and listens as the Jaguar's engine comes to life then fades into the distance down the long driveway. When the engine is no longer heard, Toni whips around and smiles at the two men in front of her. "Let's get the marathon started!"

"Where is he?" Bruce says bluntly, folding his arms across his chest in a no nonsense way. "And don't even bother trying to lie. His scent is all over the house and seems to cling to you the most."

Toni's brows pull together in confusion, a small part of her heart dropping to her stomach. "What are you talking about?" she asks. "Dad? He just left, you just saw him yourself."

Banner shakes his head, serious brown eyes never leaving hers. "Not Tony," he starts. "Loki."

Her stomach does a complete flip then jams itself in her throat, but her outer appearance remains confused. "Loki? He's up in New York isn't he?"

Steve follows his self-dubbed sister's example and raises his eyebrows in confusion. "Yeah, he is." He turns to the scientist. "Bruce, what are you talking about? Loki is still somewhere in New York. If he were here, Tony would have taken him into custody already."

The doctor nods. "That's what I couldn't figure out either," he starts, eyes still not leaving Toni. "Then Toni came in with Loki's scent all over her. That and the fact that it grew stronger a few seconds after she entered. So he's following her and hiding himself from view. And as I said before, don't bother lying. I may not like…. the other guy, but his sense of smell is pretty damn good."

Toni's heart rate is way too high and she knows it, she can feel it hammering against her ribs. If Bruce can really smell Loki as he says he can, then there's no way she can avoid it. Her eyes flick to Loki for half a second, seeing the mild worry etched in his eyes as well. There's no way around it. "Fine!" she cries around a deep sigh of fear. "He's here! But he's changed!"

Steve's eyes widen to the size of full dinner plates as Bruce's frown deepens. "How long?" he asks.

"Ever since he touched down on the roof about a week and a half ago," she replies softly, eyes falling to the ground in defeat, fiddling nervously with the plastic bag in her hands. "He's been avoiding Dad and Pepper ever since and I let him sleep on my floor."

"He's a wanted war criminal in every country and Asgard," Steve says, using his official I'm-surprised-and-angry-with-you-at-the-same-time voice, making Toni's head dip lower. "What made you think taking him in was a good idea."

"Because he was going to get sent back to the Chitauri…" she says quietly. "I couldn't let that happen. Besides, he's not the same controlling, psycho, homicidal freak from before. He's good now. The only bad thing he's done was rip the arm off my panda, and even then it was an accident and I made him fix it."

"We'll be the judge of that ourselves," Bruce says, shifting his weight to his other foot. "Show him to us. If he really changed like you say he has, then we won't tell Fury or your dad. But if you're lying to us to keep him safe…."

"I'm not," the brown haired girl responds. Slowly, she turns to where Loki stands, near the back of the living room as always. "Jig's up, buddy," Toni says in a voice so low he almost missed it. "Time to show yourself…."

Loki nods once and mutters words, causing the spell to break so that he's fully visible in all eyes. Steve notably stiffens and clenches a tight fist at his side, but Bruce remains motionless, examining Loki with unreadable eyes. He has to admit, he feels uncomfortable with the doctor staring at him for so long, but he knows better than redoing the spell. It may show he's guilty and untrustworthy; and with all that Toni's putting on the line to keep him, he doesn't want to sabotage it.

After some time passes in and uncomfortably complete silence, Bruce steps forward, making Toni react by stepping sideways, placing herself in between him and Loki. He shakes his head and continues to Loki, stopping when he enters the three-foot range. Loki tenses almost instantly and it takes all his willpower not to back away. He remembers all too well the power this man holds, having experienced it first hand when he was used as a rag doll. Still, the black haired man stands his ground, refusing to meet the brown haired man's eyes.

Out of nowhere, a wide grin spreads on Bruce's face, breaking the stony exterior. "Hi," he says cheerily, extending his arm out to the startled man before him. "My name is Bruce. I don't believe we've had the pleasure of meeting after wartime."

"Eh!?" Toni shouts in shock, walking forward and standing beside the men. "What the hell is going on here?"

"Weren't you just all suspicious of him?" Steve says, following Toni's lead and standing on the other side of the two. "What happened to that?"

Loki carefully extends his own hand and grips Bruce's lightly, shaking once before reclaiming his arm hesitantly. "He's changed," the doctor responds, shoving his hands in his pocket and turning to Steve. "Toni's right. He's not the same psychotic, homicidal freak from before."

"I told you that…" Toni grumbles, folding her arms across her chest in annoyance. "Besides, would I honestly have kept him here if he weren't?"

"Maybe," Bruce retorts. "If he had you under some sort of mind control. But then I thought, Toni's too hardheaded to be controlled that easily."

"Gee, thanks," she says sarcastically again. "Anyhow." She whips around and looks at Bruce and Steve with pleading eyes. "Please don't tell Dad or Fury. They'd kill me if they found out that I've been harboring a criminal under their noses the whole time."

Bruce laughs lightly and shakes his head. "No worries, Toni," he says. "I see he really means no harm now. So he's fine."

Toni's eyes flick to Steve now, same pleading look swirling beneath the green tint. The soldier sighs deeply and nods. "Same here," he says, earning a relieved sigh from both Toni and, surprisingly, Loki. "Just as long as he doesn't try to kill anyone here."

Loki shakes his head. "Do not fear, soldier," he says, speaking for the first time since he's been discovered. "Toni has already made me…pinkie…promise not to harm anyone in exchange for her giving me shelter and food."

"I see," Steve says, turning to the teen beside him. "And exactly how long were you planning on playing this little game?"

Toni shrugs uncaringly, all tension gone after they said they wouldn't tell. "As long as need be," she responds. "But I can admit, I was hoping we could have gone a bit longer before someone found out. It kind of sucks that we failed after a week though…"

"Indeed," Loki agrees, still mildly on edge with the other two men in the room. "But alas, we cannot change the past."

Steve turns to Loki, a slightly calmer look in his eyes, definite hesitance still there. "Do you need any clothes?" he asks. "I've got plenty of stuff I don't wear anymore if you do."

The black haired man shakes his head again. "Thank you," he starts. "But there's no need. Toni has already gotten me a sufficient supply of garments."

"At any rate," Toni chimes, bouncing slightly on the heels of her feet. "I'm pretty sure all your clothes are way too big for Loki. No offense Loki, but look at him! He's a freaking boulder!" Before any of the men could respond, Toni turns and darts to the kitchen, raising the bag in front of her as an acting guide. "I shall make popcorn and we shall watch movies now!" she declares, already ripping open a new box of popcorn.

Steve turns to Loki and nods his head in the direction of the couches. "Wanna get the movies started?" he asks. "They taught me how to a couple months ago and I wanna see if I still remember how to."

Hesitantly, Loki nods and follows the blond haired man to the living room, stopping a few feet behind him when they reach the DVD player. "If I remember correctly," Rodgers starts, examining the multitude of cords behind the TV. "It needs to be on AV to make it work? Right, Toni?"

"Yeah," the girl calls from the kitchen, emptying the third bag of popcorn in a large bowl beside her. "Then make sure the wires are in the right spot, put the DVD in and hit play when it says to. But let the other trailers play first. I wanna be there when it starts!"

"Fine," the captain calls back, finally pressing the right sequence of buttons to get the trailers to start. "It's about time," he grumbles, already starting to get fed up with new age technology…again. How Loki didn't go crazy trying to understand it is completely lost to him. Speaking of Loki, Steve turns to the god and nods to the couch. "Let's sit. Toni will come back with popcorn and other snacks. When she comes back, we can play the movie."

"Then play it now," Toni says, coming back with four bowls of popcorn, one considerably larger and fuller than the other three, along with an armload of snacks. "Skip to the play screen, we're in business."

Bruce reaches for the largest bowl of the warm, fluffy corn. "Thank you," he says, eyebrows furrowing as she pulls away and hands him a smaller bowl. "What's this?"

"Loki gets the biggest bowl," she explains, handing said man said bowl of popcorn. "Last time we had a movie day, I had to refill his bowl nine times and he still ate mine… I'm not doing that this time."

"Thank you," Loki says, a slightly childish smirk on his face as he claims his bowl.

She hands Steve the final bowl and presses play, hopping to her spot on the couch between Loki and Steve. They all cram on the small couch and stare blankly at the screen. Halfway through the movie, Loki finishes his bowl and turns to Toni, opening his mouth to ask for more, but stopping when he sees her bowl. There's barely a dent in the kernels, making him raise an eyebrow. He reaches for her bowl and plucks a few pieces without protest, making her jump slightly.

"Jesus, Loki," she whispers. "You scared the shit outta me. Don't do that."

"My apologies," he says, still eating the popcorn. "I seem to have run out of my popcorn. I was going to ask for yours."

Toni nods and starts to hand over the bowl before something loud bangs on screen and she throws the bowl in the air. Instinctively, she grabs onto Loki's shirt and buries her face in the fabric. "Holy fucking shit!" she nearly screams as the other men laugh at her. "This is not a joke anymore guys!"

"It never was," Loki says, slowly managing to loosen Toni's death grip on his shirt. "If you cannot handle this, we can always change the movie."

"No," she says, releasing him and turning back to the screen. "Sorry bout the popcorn."

"The bowl hit me," Steve says, still chuckling at her reaction. "That hurt you know."

"Shush," the brown haired man whispers, eyes never leaving the screen. "This is the good part."

By the end of the third movie, Loki is sure that Toni has permanently stretched the fabric of the shirt he's wearing. He can already see fingernail indentions from where she's gripped in her fear. Despite the many reassurances that it'll be ok to change the movies if she couldn't handle it, Toni continues to ensure that she's fine and she can handle it. Steve pushes himself to his feet and stretches. "Last movie, you sure you can handle it Toni? We can stop here and start another series."

"I'm fine," Toni says with a dismissive wave of the hand. "I wanna see how it all ends."

Bruce nods his head in Loki's direction. "By the look of Loki's shirt, I'd say we should start a different movie."

"It's fine," she says again. "Just start it before I change my mind and chicken out. I'd hate for you to hold it over my head for the rest of my life." She turns to Loki. "And sorry about your shirt."

Loki shakes his head. "It is easily fixable," he says, snapping his fingers and returning the article to its former glory. "See. All better."

Steve straightens as the final disc is entered into the tray and the trailers roll. "Oh," he starts, turning back to the group on the couch. "Loki. You might wanna put your…invisible…. thing back on. Tony's on his way home and…. well…you know how it works I guess."

"Thank you," Loki says with a polite nod. He mutters a few words under his breath and is cloaked from view of everyone but Toni again, being it the only way he's used to doing it.

The soldier sits back down and uses the remote to press play. "By the way you just disappeared from sight, I'm going to assume it worked."

"I can see him," Toni says proudly as the lights darken again.

"Of course you can," Bruce responds. "Because you're always seeing invisible people. Now shush and watch the movie."

Toni sticks her tongue out at him and sits back, a handful of Loki's shirt already in her grip. The man doesn't say anything though, finding no use in loosening it when it's just going to be tightened again in the next five minutes. That and the fact he knows the relief of having someone to hold on to when scared. When he was a young boy, he would often find himself standing at the doorway of Odin or Thor's room, awoken in the night by a terrible dream. He'd curl tightly beside the larger person and find relief in the other presence.

The movie reaches the final fifteen minutes and Loki's shirt has retuned to the state it was before he fixed it, complete with fingernail marks and wrinkled beyond what he thought was possible. Though he was mildly surprised that she hadn't shoved her face in his chest yet. Her knuckles are white from the death grip she has him in, though, a sign that it takes more effort than he thinks for her not to.

A presence appears behind the couch and Loki turns his head slightly, soon dismissing it as a friend. Toni's grip tightens considerably and Loki turns back to the screen, finding little to no reason to be scared, having seen worse at the hands of the Chitauri.

"BOO!" Tony yells, head appearing over the back of the couch during a particularly odd scene. Toni, already being on edge, lets loose a blood curling scream and leaps from her seat, narrowly missing the coffee table in her flight. Tony laughs as his daughter races down the darkened hallway then reappears, clearly realizing her mistake as soon as she made it. She returns to the living room and dives, literally dives, into Steve's lap, making the super solider grunt and double over in pain.

"That's not good," Rodgers groans, holding the still wailing Toni while trying to make sure his manhood is undamaged. He shifts as best he can with the girl on his lap, shooting the still laughing older Stark a glare. "That wasn't funny."

Tony raises a hand to gather himself, slapping a hand on his knee repeatedly while tears stream down his face unhindered. "Hey," he starts, finding a wide enough break in his cackles to form a sentence. "It's not my fault she's jumpy. I told her not to do it."

"YOU TOLD ME NOTHING!" Toni screams, plucking the couch pillow from behind Bruce and smacking her father with it. "YOU NEARLY GAVE ME A HEART ATTACK!"

Loki, who also had to reign in his amused chuckles, holds up a finger matter-of-factly. "I do not feel the need to remind you of your unnecessary worries about having a heart attack," he starts. "You are still too young."

Toni ignores him and drops the pillow, returning her grip to Steve's shirt. "That wasn't necessary," she grumbles into the fabric. "Sorry bout your…yeah…. Steve."

"It's fine," Steve says, still shifting. "I blame your dad more than I blame you. You only reacted."

"Although that may have been a bit extreme," Bruce says for the first time since the scare happened.

Slowly, Toni releases her grip on Steve's shirt and lifts her head. "That was mean…" she grumbles to her dad, sliding back to her spot.

"I'm sorry," Tony says, leaning over the couch to kiss her cheek. "I won't do it again." Toni snorts and turns her head away from him, earning a mildly confused look. "What?"

"Go get me ice cream," she says flatly, eyes still shifted away from him. "And then I'll think about forgiving you."

Tony rolls his eyes in annoyance, but stands and walks to the kitchen anyways, gaining a strange look from Loki. If he even dared talking to Odin in such a manner when he was her age, he was sure Odin would have him punished. And yet, here Toni is ordering her father around like nothing. He's not sure if he could even muster the courage to think of ordering Odin for something simple.

The front door opens and pulls Loki from his thoughts, a happy and tired looking Pepper strolling through the door. "Hey guys," she calls, setting her coat on the barstool in front of the kitchen. Her brow rises in minor confusion as she watches Tony scoop Neapolitan ice cream into a small, blue bowl. "What are you doing?" she asks. "Didn't you just have dessert?"

"It's not for me," the genius explains, scooping the last of the chocolate from its corner of the container. "Toni's mad at me, so I'm making it up to her." Pepper nods, already knowing not to question the strange bond the two share. With the bowl in hand and a spoon stuck randomly in the side, the older Stark walks back to the living room, shoving the cold bowl in his daughter's hands as he enters range. "Here," he grumbles. "Happy now?"

Toni sticks a spoonful of the cream in her mouth and smiles. "Yes," she says happily, tiny puffs of cold steam leaving her lips on the syllable. "Thank you, Daddy." She turns her head and plants a slightly sticky kiss on his cheek.

"Ew," Stark says, straightening and wiping his face with the back of his hand. "Toni germs."

"We have the same germs you immature…person," she says back, lack of a better word causing her to spit out the first thing that popped in her head. Before Tony could insult her on her loss of words, she whips her head back to the two men beside her. "Are you two staying the night?"

Steve shrugs and turns to Bruce. "I'm not sure, are we?"

"I guess staying a night won't hurt much," the doctor replies, stretching his arms over his head. "Do you have any guest rooms open?"

Toni snorts and pushes herself to her feet, somewhat over the jump-scare her father pulled. "When do we not?" she asks rhetorically. "I mean seriously? Did you even have to ask?" She motions to the hallway and starts walking, after making sure the lights were on. "Let's go! I shall get you settled!"

"Someone bounces back quickly," the captain mutters, earning a small chuckle from Loki, who follows the two men down the hall.

The brown haired girl points to the rooms across from and beside hers. "You can divide these amongst yourselves," she says around the spoon clamped between her teeth. "I'll be in this one," pause to motion to her door, "so I'm here if you need anything."

Banner nods and takes the room across from hers. "I'll remember that," he says, smiling faintly before dropping his voice. "Good night, Toni. Good night, Loki, wherever you are."

Loki appears in Toni's doorway, a small smile on his lips as Steve and Bruce jump at his appearance. "Good night, Banner," he says with a curt nod. "Good night, Captain."

Toni slides past Loki and shuts the door after hugging the men, yawning loudly as she glances at the clock. "Well then," she starts, spooning another mouthful of ice cream to her lips. "It's almost midnight. What say I finish this and we hit the hay, yes?"

"Doesn't sugar give you mortals nightmares?" the raven-haired man questions, eyebrows rising at her bowl. "Needless to say, I don't think you need anymore."

"I'll take my medicine," she responds around a cold induced coughing fit. "It'll keep everything at bay. I'll be fine, you worry wart."

Loki rolls his eyes at her childish nicknames and retreats to the bathroom as Toni rifles around her drawers for a suitable pair of pajamas. "I'll change in the bathroom," the brown haired girl says, sliding past him yet again. "You change into your PJs in here."

"If you say so," the black haired man says, already learning not to question her. "I do not wish to stay up all night waiting for you though," he starts before she closes the door. "So please do not take long."

Her tongue darts out then is quickly reclaimed as the door shuts, making Loki smile slightly. He quickly selects his nightwear and changes, tossing his morning clothes in the basket over Toni's. Seeing how the young girl has yet to return, he picks up _Eldest_ from the bed and begins reading from his earlier spot.

A soft knock on the door pulls him from the story as he's about to turn the page, so he quickly sets the book down and charms himself from view of whoever may open the door.

"Toni?" Steve's quiet whisper calls hesitantly. "Loki? Anyone in there? You didn't sneak out did you?"

Loki mentally sighs in relief and lifts the charm, flicking his wrist so the door opens. Steve stands there in a mild stupor. "May I help you, Captain?" he asks, lips twitching in an amused smirk.

Rodgers straightens and coughs awkwardly. "I was just asking if you knew where the toilet paper is," he responds. "Tony seems to have forgot to refill it in my room."

"I do not," Loki says, pushing to his feet with the book tucked under his arm. "But I shall ask Toni as soon as she returns from the bathroom."

"Ask Toni what as soon as she comes from the bathroom?" Toni asks from the open bathroom door, now clad in a pair of purple pajama bottoms with what look like crudely drawn, light green dinosaurs and a dark green, baggy tee shirt. "What's going on?"

"Mr. Rodgers is in need of toilet paper," the black haired man responds, back turned to the room as he tucks the thick, red book back in its place on the shelf. "Your father forgot to restock in his room."

"Why didn't you just ask Jarvis?" Toni asks, raising an eyebrow at the blonde. "That's kinda why Dad installed him…"

Steve rubs the back of his head nervously. "Whoops. I forgot… Not everyone's used to calling out to thin air and having it respond. I bet it scared the heck out of Loki when he first discovered Jarvis."

"That it did, Spangles," the brown haired girl says, walking by and patting his chest. "Come on, I'll get you some."

"Thanks," the soldier says, following after the smaller girl. "Hey, you feel like sparring tomorrow? I wanna see if you're keeping up with your training like you promised."

It's fading, but Loki can hear Toni's definite, sarcastic laughter fill the silent air in the house, making him chuckle as well. He silently pads over to his spot on the carpet and lies down, shifting to his side to pull up the blanket before closing his eyes. Sleep comes quickly for the god and he's asleep within seconds.

Toni walks in a few minutes later, mildly surprised at not seeing Loki on the edge of her bed, as he's always been for the past week and a half. She quietly makes her way to his spot and nods at his sleeping form. "I don't see why you're asleep faster than me though," she mutters quietly, walking over to the light and flicking it off. Once the darkness consumes the room, she slowly picks her way to the dresser, allowing her eyes to adjust as she takes her medicine.

After the pills go down, she quietly hops to her bed and lies down, pulling her blanket over her entire body with her stuffed opossum held close. "I'm not three anymore," she grumbles angrily to herself as the air inside her covers becomes hot and stuffy. "I'm not scared of the dark…. Then why the hell am I hiding under the blanket like one?" She quickly kicks the stuffy sheets away and fully exposes herself to the dark, trying to ignore the nagging portion of her mind telling her it's a bad idea.

Half an hour of sitting in the dark later, Toni's stomach is a complete mess and she managed to convince herself that there's something standing in the darkened corner of the room. Her breathing has nearly stopped in fear that whatever is in the corner will hear her, while the other half of her says she's being ridiculous and needs to go to sleep. Obviously she listens to the first part and stares unblinking at the corner, tricking herself into seeing movement. Instinct tells her to leave and go huddle beside her dad in his bed, assuming he's asleep himself.

The paranoid part, however, tells her if she leaves she'll be dead before she hits the end of the hallway. Maybe she could shift to the floor and curl up under the bed, taking the sheet to cocoon herself with. But would she disturb Loki in the process? A tired sigh passes her lips as she decides to just go with it, being too tired to even keep herself awake properly. She slides down the side opposite the sleeping god, dreadfully close to the dark corner, and wiggles under the bed, careful not to hit Loki in the process.

Despite her efforts, Loki stirs and blinks awake, confusion conflicting with exhaustion in his eyes. "Toni?" he grumbles, words trailing away. "What are you doing?"

Toni purses her lips and fiddles with a piece of carpet. "I'm scared of a dark corner…" she whispers. "I keep looking at it up there…so I came down here…. I didn't mean to wake you." She starts sliding back towards the exit of the bed. "I'll go back up."

"No," Loki mutters, still half asleep as he reaches out and grabs her wrist. "You are fine. Come here." He pulls her so that she's curled into his chest, one arm under his head as the other drapes over her shoulders protectively. "I know how it feels being scared. Often times, I would be in the same position you are with Thor or Odin."

"You don't have to do this," Toni says through a yawn, pressing her head closer to his chest. "I can go back."

"Hush," he says, pulling the blanket over the two of them. "It is too late for you to still be up. You need rest. Sleep."

Toni opens her mouth to respond, but closes it once a yawn forces past her words. "Fine," she mutters, eyes fluttering shut in spite of her mental protests. "Good night." Loki grunts in response and quickly falls back into the arms of sleep, Toni following close behind.


	7. Chapter 7

**First off, I'd like to thank Whispers From A Silver Tongue for being my first and second reviewer! It made me feel good to know someone actually took time out of their day to read my work and write a review. Not that i don't love my other readers. I love you all, as said in the second part**

**Second off, thanks to everyone who reads and follows my story! I love you all! Now enough with my ranting, onto the chapter. Remember to review! I don't own Marvel or anyone but Toni in the story. **

She's been asleep for way too long and she knows it. Already she can feel the sun warm her still closed eyelids, growing more and more irritating as time passes. Finally, a long groan of aggravation rolls from the back of her throat and she presses her face closer to the sweet smelling object it rests on.

"I see you are awake," Loki's voice floats from above. "And, for the record, your father was right. You do snore when in deep slumber."

"The hell?" Toni's eyes peel open and she finds herself surprised at the sight a light green pajama shirt. She bolts upright in shock and slams her head against the corner of the nightstand, falling back to her laying position with her hands clutching her forehead.

Loki forces back a laugh as he sits up himself, carefully avoiding the corner. "I probably should have warned you about that," he says innocently.

"No shit," the brown haired girl hisses between clenched teeth. "Son of a fuck that hurt…"

"You tend to use that phrase often," Loki points out.

"Only when in pain," Toni clarifies, rubbing the purpling spot on her forehead. "And it tends to happen most when you're around…" She lifts her hands high enough to shoot a suspicious look at the black haired man. "Are you making me hurt myself?"

Loki quirks a brow in bemused offense. "Do not blame your clumsiness on me," he responds around a chuckle. "That is your own fault."

Toni rolls her eyes and sits up; one hand firmly clamped over her eye while the other guides her around the corner. "Whatever," she grumbles for lack of a better comeback. "I still blame you, Mischief Man. I could be under some sort of spell and not even know it."

"It would be a surprise to both of us then," the green-eyed man responds, sliding over slightly to allow her room to move. "The only magic I'll admit to using on you was to heal your toe and relieve you of your nightmares."

"Thanks for that, by the way," she yawns, rising to her feet and walking to the full body mirror behind her door. Toni hesitantly lifts her hand from her face, wincing at the sight of the line shaped bruise that takes the place of the scar she got when she slammed her head against the wall. A low, mildly impressed whistle falls past her lips as her fingers press against the discoloration. "Did I really hit that hard?" she asks rhetorically, flinching at the new burst of pain she got from pressing it.

The black haired man nods as he pushes himself to his feet. "It sounded awfully painful," he comments, walking over and sitting on the edge of her bed, as always. "I am surprised at the fact you are not weeping in agony."

Soft chuckles pass Toni's lips as she continues to poke and prod the bruise, hissing through her teeth at every wave of pain that throbs through her skull. "It takes a lot more than a bruise to make me cry," she retorts. "A knife to the eye maybe."

One of Loki's brows rises in concern. "You are a very violent soul aren't you…" he mutters, just out of Toni's ear shot. "And stop poking the bruise." He stands and strides over to her side, seizing her wrist as she poises to prod yet again. "Unless you like inflicting pain upon yourself for whatever reason."

"Maybe I do," the brown haired girl responds, trying and failing to free her wrist from Loki's grip. Mentally, she doubts if the god is even trying to hold her. "Now let go. Poking it makes the pain go away faster."

"Or…" Loki says, lifting his free hand to cover the contusion. "We can do this instead." He mutters the same foreign words from a few days ago and more green light dances under his palm. When he removes his hand, no traces of the marking remains. The spell even went as far as removing the scar that was previously there. "Better?"

Toni's free hand shoots up and pokes the area where the bruise used to be, a smile pulling her lips up at the complete lack of pain. "You know," she starts, lowering her hand and freeing her other from Loki. "You should teach me that. It may come in handy someday."

"As much as I would love to," Loki says, hints of sarcasm in his tone. "You do not possess the natural born magical ability to learn spells. Perhaps you could try something simpler, such as not hurting yourself every five minutes."

Toni rolls her eyes and stretches her arms over her head, popping her back loudly. "That felt good," she mutters, dropping her arms again. "It's breakfast time!" she cheers loudly, turning around to grip the doorknob before pausing. "Hey, Jarvis?" she calls to the air. "Is Dad and/or Pepper home?"

"Fortunately not, ma'am," the housekeeper responds. "Ms. Potts has decided to treat herself to a spa day while your father continues his search for Mr. Loki."

"What about Steve and Bruce?"

"They await your arrival in the living room," Jarvis says. "They have already eaten breakfast and are watching television as we speak."

Toni nods and flashes a thumb up to the air, swinging open the door as she does. "You're a lifesaver, J," she calls. "I don't know what I would do without you."

"Most likely burn the house down or get yourself and Mr. Loki caught," he answers bluntly.

Loki chuckles at the annoyed look on Toni's face, following her out the door and listening to her unladylike comments she makes under her breath. "Such colorful language," he says in a teasing voice. "Maybe you should wash your mouth out with soap, as you mortals say."

"Piss off," she grumbles, ignoring the overly cheery good morning from Steve. "I want pancakes…"

Bruce looks up from his glass of orange juice. "Sorry, Toni," he says, stopping the brown haired girl in her pursuit of the refrigerator. "You guys are basically out of food. Steve just finished off the last of the pizza and I just boiled the last egg."

"NO!" she wails, dropping to her knees and pulling the dramatic arm over the head pose. All she needs is rain and someone might have sworn her father died. "How could you guys eat all the food? That's not nice!"

Steve laughs and stands, walking to the kitchen for a refill of his water. "Quit being so dramatic," he says, grabbing Toni by the back of her shirt and hauling her to her feet. "You have money, why can't you treat us to breakfast."

"SHAWARMA!" the brown haired girl says, jumping on the balls of her feet. "We could have shawarma!"

"For breakfast?" Banner questions, raising an eyebrow as he downs the last of his juice. "Is that really the best choice?"

"Of course!" Toni shouts, making all the men cover their ears. "Besides, Loki's never had it before. I'm getting him to try new things while he's here. What better stuff to try than shawarma?"

The captain shrugs. "I'm fine with it as long as Loki is, I guess," he states. "Toni's driving anyways… So we may not even have a say in this…"

"Of course you don't!" Toni agrees happily, earning an eye roll from Bruce. She ignores him and whips around to Loki, who's remained silent ever since they've entered the room. "What say you, Lokikins? Up for shawarma?"

"It does not matter to me," the black haired man responds, leaning his back against the wall. "As you have said yourself, I have not had shawarma before. If everyone else has already agree-"

"We're going for shawarma!" she calls, raising her arms over head in a victory cheer. "Yes! Come on, people! Shawarma awaits!"

Steve raises an eyebrow as she starts toward the stairs leading to the garage. "Aren't you going to get dressed?" he asks. "Or put on shoes?"

Toni pauses and glances down at her bare feet, wiggling her toes and frowning. "My polish is fading," she grumbles sadly. "Darn… Ah well, no one's going to see." With that, she continues her journey to the stairs.

The men, seeing no other option, stand and follow Toni, snagging their shoes from various places around the living room. Well, Steve and Bruce do anyway; Loki snaps his fingers and is automatically dressed, making the two Avengers slightly envious of his abilities.

They find Toni sitting in the driver's side of the navy blue Camero, music already pouring loudly from the speakers. Steve sighs and opens the door, taking the full hit of the heavy bass to his face. "Turn it down!" he shouts to the teenage driver. "It's way too loud."

"What was that?" Toni yells back, ear cupped in his direction. "You're going to have to speak up. The music's too loud!"

The doctor sighs in annoyance and reaches around the teenager, turning down the volume to a tolerable level. "So we don't go deaf," he says, opening the door and climbing in the backseat. Steve slides in beside Bruce and Loki takes his place in the front, buckling his seatbelt as Toni backs out and starts down the long driveway.

"Do they even have a shawarma place in Malibu?" Bruce points out, earning a questioning silence. "What? Did you not think about that possibility?"

"No…" Toni says, flicking on her blinker as she pulls onto the highway. "Crap," she nearly shouts, slamming an open palm on the steering wheel. "I forgot…. Damn it."

Steve kicks the back of her seat roughly. "Watch your mouth," he says in his lectures-about-American-pride tone. "I know your father has told you multiple times about it."

"I almost hit my boob on the steering wheel, jerk!" the brown haired girl shouts, making the blond haired man turn red. "And besides, I've been talking like this since I was five. Getting me to stop is going to take a lot more than a few threats and pleas." The captain opens his mouth to respond but Toni quickly changes the subject. "Since shawarma is sadly no longer an option, what do you guys want?"

"I don't care," Bruce says with a shrug. "As long as I can pronounce whatever it is that is going into my body."

"Pfft," Toni says, lifting a hand from the wheel to wave dismissively. "I'm pretty sure you can pronounce chicken nuggets."

"I'm talking about what goes into the chicken nuggets…" he grumbles, shifting uncomfortably. "Why does Loki get the front seat anyway?"

"I was wondering the same thing," Steve agrees. "I mean, you knew us long before he became a friend. How come one of us doesn't get the front seat?"

"Are we really going to argue about this?" the brown haired girl says, pressing down on the break as they hit a red light. "Seriously? What are we, five?" Gaining no response, Toni sighs and shifts so that she's sitting with her left foot underneath her, giving her an extra inch to see over the steering wheel. "Loki sits in the front for two reasons," she starts, using the top of her big toe to press on the gas as the light changes. "One is because I still have a small feeling that one of you is going to try to hurt him," she explains, earning what sounds like agreeing mumbles from the back. "And two is because he doesn't question my every move like you two judgmental people."

"Um…" Loki says, raising a thin finger in the air, drawing everyone's attention to him. "I wouldn't nesaccerily say that I do not question you, I just do not do it out loud."

Toni scoffs in mock hurt and places a hand over her heart. "Jerk," she says, reaching over and smacking him lightly on the arm. "You no longer have the natural right to the front seat."

Loki only chuckles and turns his attention back to the passenger window. "If you say so," he says, looking across at the beach with a mild awe.

"Has anyone actually decided on what we're going to eat?" Toni asks, fingers tapping the drums to a _Seether_ song. "If not, we're just gonna get stuff from the next gas station I pull into. I need to fill up."

"I think we should go to Subway," Bruce offers, leaning forward to lean against the middle armrest up front. "I heard they have a new breakfast line up and I wanted to try it."

Toni makes a face and shakes her head, eyes scanning the rows of signs for a pump. "Nah," she denies. "It seems to complicated. Besides, I don't feel like walking in line."

"Burger King has good breakfast," Steve chimes.

"Option," she says, pulling into a Shell. "You three debate while I pump." With that, she pulls into the pump farthest from the other people and almost yanks the key from the ignition, reaching over Loki with her free hand to retrieve her wallet from the glove compartment. The door shuts and the three men sit in silence, no one knowing what to suggest.

Loki turns slightly in his seat to see the others clearer. "The place with the golden arches has exceptional milkshakes," he suggests, being the only fast food restaurant he's ever been to.

Bruce shrugs. "I could go for some McDonald's…" he says, watching the numbers on the pump rise. "I haven't had it in a while, I guess once won't hurt."

"Doesn't matter to me," Steve agrees, sharing the same shrug. "Their Big Macs are good."

"Then it is settled," Loki says with a nod. "We are getting… McDonald's as you call it."

"Great," Toni says, sliding back in the car with a smile, setting her wallet in her lap as she restarts the car. "One stop, no fuss." She pulls back onto the highway and merges left. "Alright, what do you want?" It sounds like a kindergarten class trying to decide what game to play with the amount of noise in the car. Toni attempts to quiet them down with words but fails miserably, only adding to the surge. With no other options, she cranks the music up to full blast and waits, turning it down to a silent car once again. "Thank you," she grumbles. "Now…One at a time…."

Twenty minutes later, the car pulls into the garage once again, the full and happy four all laughing for a reason lost beyond help. Toni stops the car and pulls the key from the ignition, tears of joy rolling down her face as she rests it on the steering wheel. "Oh, that was great," she says, reigning in her fit as she finally sits up, wiping the tears from her face. "That was too great."

"Agreed," Bruce says, opening his car door and sliding out. "That was a good one Loki. And here I thought you were only funny looking."

Loki only rolls his eyes at the quip, following the doctor's lead and stepping out. The driver's door swings open and Toni stumbles out, left leg asleep from being sat on for so long. "Well then," she says, wincing as she wiggles her still bare toes. "That does not feel good."

"It'll feel better if we spar," Steve suggests, throwing the large, paper trash bag in the can a few feet away. "A little exercise never hurt anyone."

"A little exercise never hurt YOU," the brown haired girl remarks, sipping her drink. "A little exercise with you hurt a lot of people. Me especially."

"Aw, don't be such a baby," the blond teases, walking over and hooking an arm around her shoulders. "It's just a little sparring."

The girl snorts in amusement. "Sparring being spelled D-E-A-T-H in this case…"

"I would enjoying seeing the bout," Loki comments, tossing his empty milkshake cup into the trash. "Toni has told me that you rendered her unconscious for an hour the last time you two had it out."

"The fact that you only want to see her get knocked out again has me a little worried," Bruce remarks. "Other than that, it would be fun to see. It'll pass some time too."

Steve smirks down at the brown haired girl under his arm. "Three against one, Toni," he starts. "Looks like we're sparring."

Another one of her aggravated groans falls from her lips as Toni shakes off Steve's arm. "Fine!" she moans. "If I have to. But I swear if I die, I'm haunting you wherever you go."

"Sounds fair," the solider responds, walking toward the stairs. "Do you still have my training clothes here? I remember you saying you'd wash them."

"Upstairs in the laundry room to the left," Toni instructs, following the man up the stairs with Loki on her heels. "I'll change and meet you in the ring in a few."

"Don't try to chicken out," Bruce jokes, following the group up the stairs. Toni only responds by whipping around and sticking her tongue out, being steadied by Loki when she nearly tumbles down.

"What did I say about hurting yourself every five minutes?" the green-eyed man scolds, earning a nervous chuckle from Toni. He sighs and releases her once she's turned back in the right direction. "How you will survive without aid one day will most likely surprise the world…"

"I'll survive like I always have," she responds when they reach the top of the stairs. "On pop tarts, fifty dollars and comfortable shoes." She crosses the living room and enters the hallway to her room. "Be down in a few."

Loki is about to follow her to her room, as he's always done in the past, when Bruce's hand reaches out and catches his arm. "Where are you going?" the doctor asks with raised eyebrows, releasing the black haired man's arm when he succeeded in making him stop. "We're going to the gym to wait."

"My apologies," the Jotun says, a mild embarrassment dancing behind his eyes. "I am so used to following her."

"Understandable," Banner says with a nod. "Come on." He turns and walks to the elevator, jabbing the down button. The doors slide open automatically and the two men step inside, Loki taking the liberty of pressing the correct button, having seen the mildly confused look on the doctor's face. "Thanks," Bruce replies.

Loki nods once and moves to the back of the box, pressing himself close to the back wall. Despite the assurances, Loki still finds himself in mild discomfort in the presence of the Avenger, even when he's not the giant, green monster. It's the fact that this man, no matter how helpless he may look, can change into said monster at any given moment. He knows Banner still probably has built up anger at him for what he did a few months ago, making it that more dangerous to be alone with him.

The box dings and pulls the black haired man from his thoughts. Bruce steps out just as the doors slide open while Loki waits a moment before following. Surprisingly, Steve stands in the back of the room, shaking a punching bag with the strength of the blows he's letting loose on it. Loki almost feels bad for making Toni go against the soldier; in fact, he almost feels bad for the bag he hits.

"Alright guys!" Toni says from the stairs, clad in a pair of blue sports shorts and a plain black wife beater tee shirt. "Ready to see me die?"

"You aren't going to die," Bruce assures as Steve steadies the bag with his hands. "A mild mauling maybe, but not death."

Toni frowns and brushes past them. "Such reassurance," she says sarcastically, walking over to the large speaker stereo that sits near the east wall of the room. She ignores her uncle's chuckling and slides her new _Avenged Sevenfold _into the tray, pressing play and turning up the volume before turning to the ring.

"Come on, Short Stack," Steve teases cheerily, tightening the white bandages around his hands. "You're not scared are you?"

Toni scoffs. "Of course not," she responds, climbing under the ropes and into the ring. "I'm terrified, there's a difference." She cracks her knuckles and shakes her arms at her sides, already starting to bounce on the balls of her feet. "Now let's get this over with before I bolt."

Steve laughs and mimics the teenager's movements, slowly edging around in a circle, lifting his hands to cover his face and body. Toni instantly recognizes the move and follows suit, carefully lifting her own arms in defense. Without warning, Steve lunges forward and swings for Toni's head, much to her extreme surprise. She dodges by a hair and rolls out of the way, sending a hard kick to the man's back before springing to her feet.

Again, to her surprise, Steve appears in her face and swings again, landing a hard one to her ribs. Toni gasps in shock but remains on her feet, stumbling back into the ropes to stabilize herself. The soldier doesn't allow much time for recovery though, taking the pristine opportunity to rush the small girl again. She was almost prepared for it, however, and jumped up, using the ropes to hold her up as she kicks Steve squarely in the chest. He staggers back and Toni stands, swinging hard into his left side.

The result wasn't as anyone had suspected, with Toni hissing in pain and Steve merely wincing. "Um," Loki chimes as the fight continues, drawing Bruce's attention from the ring. "Why are they not wearing the puffy, red gloves from before?" he questions, motioning to the bare hands of the fighter. "Toni and her father wore them both times they trained."

"Steve doesn't really like the feel of the gloves," Banner explains, wincing as Steve punches Toni in the stomach. "So he doesn't wear them when training. Toni just plain hates them and only wears them to avoid hurting her dad with her bony knuckles."

Toni, distracted by the words, spins around and glares at Bruce. "I do not have bony knuckles!" she shouts, ducking under another hit from Steve while landing her own on his side.

"I see," Loki says with a nod, turning his attention to the speakers. "Do you think Toni would mind if I changed the song?" he asks the man beside him. "The rhythm is terrible and the lyrics are obnoxious."

"That's what I always say about her music," the brown haired man says with a chuckle. "Go ahead. She's too into the fight to care."

Once again, Loki nods and pushes himself from the bench he sits on, walking over to the black boxes in the corner. Confusion instantly washes over him as he stares at the multiple buttons, knobs and lights that make up the entirety of the contraption. The tiny words and symbols written in light gray didn't help end his bemusement at all. Finally, he takes a chance and pushes a random button, growing even more confused as the music stops. An electric whirling sound is heard then more silence, followed by a softer sounding tune.

Toni, who automatically came out of her fighting daze, perks up at the sound and grins widely, dropping her guard entirely and turning to face Loki. "I love this song!" she says happily.

"Toni!" Bruce calls as he rises to his feet, already seeing the ending tragedy. "Focus!"

"Right!" the brown haired girl calls back, whipping back around only to take the whole of Steve's right hook to the face. She wobbles slightly before her eyes roll back and she drops, Steve's arms out to catch her before her body hits the mat.

"I didn't mean that," the soldier says, slowly lowering her onto the rough floor as the other two hurriedly make their way to their side. "I thought she knew I was coming."

"We know, Steve," the doctor says, kneeling down beside Toni and placing the back of his hand to her forehead. "She's a bit warm, probably from the fight. We need water."

Loki flicks his wrist and a clay pitcher of ice water appears beside them, a rag and a small cup on either side of that. "Will that suffice?" he asks.

"Yes," Banner says, dipping the edge of the rag in the pitcher before wiping Toni's forehead with it. "Thank you." He repeats the process three more times before filling the cup, lifting Toni's head into his lap and pressing the glass to her lips.

This sparks an immediate reaction from Toni, causing her to bolt upright and knock the cup from his hand. "Hey," Steve says, catching her arm as she tries to swing on Loki. "Calm down, Shorty. It's just us."

The words take a moment to register in her head, but when they do, her arm falls limp and she sighs. "Damn," she mutters, shaking her hand free to rub the spot on the face where she was hit. "What happened?"

"Steve knocked you out," Bruce responds. "Then I tried to give you some water, but you knocked it across the room and tried to punch Loki."

"Really?" Toni says, turning her attention to the black haired man in front of her. "I'm so sorry Loki. I don't know what happened."

Loki holds his hand up to silence her coming rant. "It is alright," he says calmly. "You were simply acting upon instinct. If it had been any other time, I am sure you would not have attacked me as such."

"I wouldn't say that," Steve comments, drawing all eyes to him. "I mean come on, Toni's pretty vicious."

Toni scoffs and winces, rubbing her sore jaw again. "I would hit you," she starts, rotating her jaw uncomfortably. "But I don't want to get hit back…."

"Move your hand," Bruce says, brushing Toni's hand from her face. "I want to check to see if it's broken." With a mild groan, the brown haired girl moves her hand and Bruce places his where hers were. "It's defiantly bruised," he says after a few seconds, removing his hands only to have Toni's fly back up. "But not broken. A little harder and I might be saying differently."

Loki sighs and steps forward. "You cannot keep yourself out of painful situations, can you?" he asks Toni, a tiny hint of humor in his tone.

Toni rolls her eyes and removes her hand, already knowing what was about to happen before it did. "Of course," she says as Loki's cold hand is placed gently on her jaw, earning confused looks from both Steve and Bruce. "I love getting hurt then making you take precious time from your day to make me better. It makes my world turn."

The black haired man chuckles at her sarcastic response, taking a moment to regain himself before muttering the words of healing for the third time since he's arrived. The familiar green light swirled about her purpling face, taking away the pain and discoloration before disappearing. "There," Loki says, holding back more chuckles at Toni's odd face while she rotates her jaw again.

Bruce's hand moves in and feels the jaw again, a look of mild surprise on his face. "How did you do that?" he says, directing his attention to Loki.

"It is a simple healing spell," Loki starts, pushing himself to his feet. "One that I learned when I was around Toni's age in mortal years. Thor would always hurt himself hunting or doing something of the sort, so I took the liberty of helping the oaf."

"I already asked him to teach it to me," Toni says, cutting Bruce off before he could speak, rising to her slightly shaky feet as well. "But he says I'm not in possession of the natural magical ability or whatnot. Whatever though. I feel nasty, so I'm going to shower."

"Make it quick," Steve says as he and Bruce stand up too. "We have to go in a few minutes. Fury says it is of utmost importance that we help with the search for Loki…"

"Seems pretty pointless," Toni says, leading the pack up the stairs. "Seeing as you already found him."

"But we can't tell Fury that," Bruce comments from the back. "So until Loki is actually caught, which may or may not be sooner than anticipated, we have to act clueless."

"Thanks for the support, Bruce," the brown haired girl says sarcastically, crossing the room to the hallway once again. "Really. We needed it." She whips around once she reaches the end of the hall, a look of mild assurance on her face. "Despite the occasional close call, I do know what I'm doing. We'll be fine. I got this. And I leave you with that." She turns and stars back down the hall. "It's shower time!"

Steve follows Toni down to his room. "You better not take all the hot water," he says to the girl ahead of him.

"Challenge accepted!" Toni shouts, slamming her bedroom door.

Bruce laughs at her childishness and he and Loki sit on the couch. "Anything you wanna see on TV?" he asks the man beside him, using the remote to bring the tube to life.

"Not in particular," the green-eyed man responds, snapping his fingers. _Eldest _appears in his lap, last memorized page already opened. He begins reading as Banner turns to a show about bizarre medical happenings. _Untold Stories of the ER. _That's what it's called. He remembers Toni mentioning a few strange episodes to him when she started talking in her sleep one night.

Five minutes later, Steve comes out from his room dressed in a pair of khaki pants and a plain white tee shirt. "Toni won," he says, plopping down between Loki and Bruce, both men sliding over more to allow room for the newest couch member. "She basically had all the hot water in her room before I even had a chance to turn on the water. When I got in the water was already freezing. I couldn't even stand fully under it."

"Sir," Jarvis chimes, making all three men jump. "If I may make a confession, Toni snuck into the bathroom before you entered and shut off your hot water by the valve. You could have had the same amount of hot water as her if you would have turned it back on."

"What!?" the solider shouts, leaping to his feet at the words. Loki lifts the book closer to his face to hide the growing laughter, noticing that Bruce had also turned his head away from the scene as well, shaking slightly from the held back laughter at the captain's face.

At that moment, Toni bounces out, fully dressed in a pair of blue jeans and a light red tee shirt. "Hi, guys," she says happily beaming brightly at Steve in particular. "I take it you fled first."

"You turned off my hot water, you cheater," the blond says, turning to the girl with an accusing look. "And don't try to lie, Jarvis just told us."

"I wish to remain a neutral party," Loki comments, raising a hand in the air from his spot on the couch.

Bruce follows suit with a raised hand. "Same here," he adds. "Whatever's going on between you two stays between you two."

The smile on Toni's face vanishes, leaving one of mild betrayal as she turns her eyes to the ceiling. "Jarvis you traitor," she mumbles. "I thought you were on my side."

"I am also a neutral party in this," the housekeeper responds, a hint of laughter behind the usual tone.

"Lair," she hissed back.

"Why would you do that?" Steve cuts in before Jarvis could respond. "I was turning blue under that water."

A small trace of a smile pulls Toni's lips up. "I'm not going to comment on that," she starts. "But I will say that turning off your hot water was just a bit of fun to win a bet. Call it…spending too much time with the god of mischief."

"Again," Loki perks from the safety of the book. "I am neutral in this. Do not blame your doings on me."

"Anyway," Toni says louder than usual, trying to drown out Loki's rejection. "Steve, it was a joke. Besides, you're not dead are you?"

The blond man ponders the thought then sits back down, not seeing a point in attacking over a simple prank. "I guess you're right," he says through a sigh.

The grin is back on Toni's face as she walks over and plops on the couch in her rightful spot between him and Loki. "See," she says, patting his arm. "Life is so much easier when you admit I'm right."

"I wouldn't say that nesaccerily," Banner comments under his breath, not taking his eyes from the screen. Loki, being the only one who heard him, laughs quietly at the jibe.

The four sit in silence for hours, three focusing on the TV while one sits in the corner and reads. Toni's phone blares the chorus of _Gone Forever _and everybody leaps a foot in the air, surprising Toni at the fact that no one wet themselves in the endeavor. "Ok, whoever you are," she nearly growls when she answers the phone. "I want you to know you made th-two grown men and myself jump at your phone call. So next time, I expect a text message warning or something…" Her expression changes as she holds the phone away from her ear, the other person's shouts heard clear despite the lack of speaker.

"Hey, Nicky," the brown haired girl starts again, pressing the phone back to her ear once the screaming dies down. "Yeah I didn't know it was you…. Do you honestly think I would have said that if I knew it was you…. That's rude…. Yeah they are…Right here…. I heard…Ok…. I will…Ok…Bye." She jabs the end button then sticks a pinky in her ear in attempt to silence the ringing. "Damn," she says around a yawn. "That was awful…"

"What was that about?" Steve asks, glancing down at her. "Fury sounded angry. Was something wrong?"

"Nah," Toni responds, waving the hand not digging in her ear dismissively. "He was just pissed when I snapped. All he wanted to know was if you guys were here and when you were coming to New York."

"Did you tell him?" Bruce asks, sitting up to see her better. "I mean, we said we were leaving today."

"Did you hear me tell him you were leaving today?" the hazel-eyed girl responds through another yawn. "You were right here after all."

Steve groans and pushes himself to his feet, making the couch spring up from the lack of weight. "I guess we ought to leave now, Bruce," he says, stretching his arms over his head.

"I guess you're right," the doctor says, following Steve's lead and standing, allowing more room for Toni to slide over. "Well, Toni," he says, turning back to the two on the couch. "Loki. I guess this is good bye."

"Aw," the brown haired girl says, leaping up and wrapping her arms around Bruce's neck. "I'm going to miss you guys."

"Don't miss us too much," Steve says as Toni unlocked her arms from Banner's neck and hook herself around his. "Tony, as in your dad, said something about packing up and going back to New York because he doesn't like the flying back and forth between here and there everyday."

"Makes sense," she responds, dropping lightly to the floor then flopping back on the couch. "Well, you two have fun hitchhiking to New York. We'll be here if you need anything."

"Cause lazing about on the couch helps everyone," Loki chirps, eyes not leaving the pages of his half finished book.

"Can it, Rudolph," Toni mutters, lifting her feet so that they rest beside her on the couch. She hears the door opening and lifts her head. "Bye guys!" she calls. "See you later!"

"Farwell, Banner, Rogers," Loki says, finally lifting his head from his book to wave at the men. "May you be safe in your travels."

Bruce and Steve wave once more before shutting the door behind themselves, leaving the original two alone on the couch. "Way to make my good bye sound lame," Toni teases, tossing a couch pillow at the black haired man beside her. "What, with all your fancy ways of talking and whatnot."

Loki bats the pillow aside and smirks. "My ways of speaking have nothing to do with the ineloquence ways of which you speak. You too can talk as fancy as I if you put your mind to it." Toni frowns and flips him the one finger salute, earning another chuckle from him. "That is not helping."

"If I may cut in," Jarvis says as Toni lowers her finger. "Mr. Stark has just landed on the roof and Ms. Potts is on her way."

"Sounds like you need to disappear, Frosty the High Class Snowman," Toni says as Loki closes the book and sets it aside.

The strange words are muttered and render Loki unseen to everyone but Toni, as it has always been. Just as Loki is about to respond to Toni's comment, elevator dings and Tony steps out, a glass of scotch in his hand. "You need to be in bed," he says, pointing at his daughter with the hand not brandishing the glass. "You're babysitting the brat tomorrow night, remember. Meaning you're going to need all the energy in the world to get you up and moving."

"So you're going to let me sleep all day?" Toni questions hopefully, flipping off the TV and rising to her feet.

Tony laughs loudly, just as he had the night before, and shakes his head. "Of course not," he responds through the fit. "You told me you'd help with stuff in the shop tomorrow. We're working till you have to leave."

"Wonderful," she grumbles, starting toward her room. "Well then, I guess I'll be off."

Tony reaches out and snags the girl by her shoulders, pulling her into a hug and planting a kiss on the top of her head. "Night, baby doll," he says, patting her back twice before releasing her.

Toni laughs and kisses her dad's cheek, slapping him lightly on the arm before continuing down the hall. "Baby doll?" she questions. "Where'd that come from? What happened to the normal Kid or Kiddo crap?"

The older Stark shrugs. "Decided to change it up a bit. You know, break away from the expected."

"I'd rather stick with the expected," Toni comments from her door. "Night, Daddy. Give Pepper a kiss for me and tell her night."

"Will do," he says, starting for his room. "Night."

The door shuts and Toni yawns, stretching her arms high above her head. "Ok, Snowy," she starts, brushing past him and snags her pajamas from the floor. "We really need to sleep. Dad's right, we got a long day tomorrow."

"Indeed," he says, selecting his own light blue pajama set from his bags. "Shall I be changing in here?" By the sound of the bathroom door shutting, he assumes yes and begins changing, discarding his dirty clothes in the basket once done. Knowing she's probably going to forget, he takes the liberty of getting Toni's pills ready for her, fumbling with the tops before finally willing them open with magic.

When Toni comes out, Loki holds the pills out in his hand, making her jump in fear. "Thanks buddy," she says once she recovers, plucking the capsules from his hand with a grateful smile. "I knew I was forgetting something."

"It was no hassle," he responds, moving to his spot on the floor and lying down. "Good night, Toni."

"Nighty night, Lokikins," she yawns in response. Within minutes, both are fast asleep.

Dark chuckles pull Loki from his warm slumber, sending cold chills running through his body at the instant recognition of the sound. He's on his feet in seconds, staring into the piercing gaze of the Mad Titan. "Thanos," he whispers, taking an instinctive step away from the man who seemed to appear from the shadows.

"Hello my pet," the Chitauri ruler purrs, more shivers rolling off Loki's back at the words. "I see you fare well."

"How did you get in here?" he questions shakily, eyes darting to the still sleeping Toni on the bed. Something has to be wrong; Toni would not just lie there and allow a threat into her house, much less her room. "This house is armed with alarms that should have sounded upon your entry."

Thanos chuckles again, stepping forward so that he just barely touches the side of Toni's bed, making Loki tense. "I'm merely here as a projection of my entity, pet," the titan clarifies, a smirk pulling his lips up menacingly. "We will have our time together soon." He reaches a hand down and runs a blackened fingernail across Toni's cheek, leaving a small trail of blood from the cut he made. "Maybe, we'll even bring your new pet along with us. Won't that be fun?"

"What have you done to her?" the black haired man says, already feeling the anger filled energy form at his fingertips.

"Peace, runt," he sneers, trailing his finger back across her cheek again, sending another wave of anger through Loki. "She is under a simple sleep spell, as not to interrupt us. No harm will befall her." The smirk widens. "Not yet anyway." The titan moves his hand from Toni's cheek, much to Loki's relief, and sets it back at his side. The smirk vanishes and seriousness washes over all of the warrior's features. "You will return to my side, pet," he states. "Or I will slaughter everyone you have come to love. Starting with this her."

"You will do no such thing," Loki snaps, watching Thanos's movements for any indication of putting Toni's life at risk. "And I will not surrender to your will."

"So you think," Thanos says, ominous smirk returning to his face. "Your resolve will shatter, and you will crawl back to me." More chuckles fill the air as the titan steps back into the shadow. "We will meet again, pet," he says. "Soon."

The image fades and Loki is left standing in the darkness, the sound of his own pounding heart keeping the silence at bay. His breathing is ragged and he finds it hard to remain standing with his knees shaking as they do. As he regains balance, he slowly makes his way to Toni's bed, setting himself down on the edge to assure he doesn't fall. He places a hand over the scratches on her face and mutters the words of healing, sealing the cuts and leaving no trace of the visit. No physical evidence anyway.

Loki slides off the bed and rests his back against the side, feeling no discomfort in the normally irritating posture. All traces of exhaustion has left his body, putting him on high alert in case the Mad Titan plans on making a second coming. No harm will come about Toni as long as Loki is around, especially none by the hands of Thanos. He won't allow it.

He sighs, calming his nerves as best he can without losing his alertness. In a quiet snap of the fingers, _Eldest _appears in his lap from its location on the coffee table, open to his marked page as always. A small ball of dim light appears above him with a flick of the wrist, casting a warm glow over the pages for him to read by. After making sure the light didn't disturb Toni's slumber, Loki begins reading, knowing that sleep will not be returned to him this night.


	8. Chapter 8

**Thanks again for all the support i'm getting and thanks again to Whispers From A Silver Tongue for review yet again! I love you all! This chapter may not be as good as the others but i can't go back now can i? Anyway remember to review!**

The inside of his eyelids turn red as the sun peeks in through the window, making the already irate mischief god groan in tired annoyance. Loki turns over on his other side, covering his face with the pillow to help darken the room. The entire meeting with Thanos the night before left him drained.

The meeting with Thanos!

The Jotun bolts straight up, now fully awake, and turns to look over at Toni's empty bed. He'd fallen asleep. Thanos could have gotten back in and took her in the night. "Damn," he growls under his breath, pushing to his feet, to check the bathroom.

A small pang of worry starts forming in the pit of his stomach when he finds it empty, options on where she could be quickly diminishing. "Jarvis," he calls to the air, moving to open the closet door. "Where is Toni? Has she disappeared over the night? Did anyone come in and take her?"

"Ms. Stark is fine, Mr. Loki," Jarvis assures, sending a huge wave of relief over the black haired man. "She is in the workshop with her father as we speak. Would you like to see for yourself?"

Loki nods, then realizes the housekeeper most likely can't see him. "Please. Lead the way," he says before muttering the words of invisibility.

"Sublevel four," the automated voice instructs as Loki exits the room. "You will have to take the stairs, though. The elevator will not allow you access to the floor unless you have security clearance from one of the Starks, Ms. Potts, or Colonel Rhodes."

"I see," the green-eyed man responds.

"You will have to attract Ms. Stark's attention so she can let you in if you are planning on entering the shop with them," the AI continues, unaware the guest even responded. "Unless you plan on standing outside the door the entire time they work."

Loki nods once, again lost to Jarvis as he reaches the designated floor. Another wave of relief covers the black haired man as he spots Toni firing a large, metal weapon at what looks like an unpainted version of her father's suit. Bright red and orange flames engulf the suit, leaving no traces of the heat on the metal. Loki glances around the room as the flames start to die away, only then realizing that he has yet to see the older Stark.

Toni removes the metal facemask and wipes a bead of sweat from her brow. "You still alive in there, Dad?" she calls toward the suit, struggling to be heard over the blasting AC/DCin the background. "Or did I accidentally cook you?"

To Loki's extreme surprise, the suit opens, revealing an unharmed and very happy Tony. "I'm just fine, kid," he says, walking over to the computer and tapping in the newest test results. "The new cooling system works wonders, by the way," he adds quickly. "Great thinking on transforming the heat from outside into the cool on the inside. I never would have thought about that."

A small look of pride flashes across Toni's face as she dabs another forming bead of sweat away. "I know," she responds, turning the flamethrower off completely before leaning against the worktable to her left. "And, for the record, if you would have died, it wouldn't have been my fault. You wanted to do it."

"I knew it would work," Tony responds, setting up for the next test. "I was directly involved in it. Anything-"

"That has me working on it is completed the first time," the younger Stark finishes, taking a long swig of the water on the table. "I know, I know. You say that a lot." A small tap on the door draws her attention from the test setup, almost surprising her to see Loki standing there. She glances toward her dad before dramatically waving her hand in front of her face. "God damn it's hot in here," she complains loudly, walking toward the door. "I'm gonna air it out a bit, 'kay Dad?"

"Go right ahead, Mini Me," the older man replies, smirking as the large window over looking the ocean slides up, leaving nothing but open air in its place. "Even though I just opened a window."

"We need circulation!" she argues, pushing the glass door open wide, allowing Loki access while leaving enough room for herself. "Morning," she mutters to Loki, earning a nod in acknowledgement.

"Glad to see you functioning well this morning," the black haired man replies with a smirk. "Usually you're angry and uncooperative."

The brown haired girl rolls her eyes and closes the door, hearing the electric locks slide into place. "Ready for the flight test!" Tony states loudly, cutting Toni off from her smart response. "Come on, copilot, we need to make sure we don't crash."

"Correction," the hazel-eyed girl says, turning back to her father while secretly motioning for Loki to follow. "We need to make sure YOU don't crash. You've told me multiple times I'm not touching another suit…"

"You got that right," Iron Man says as the helmet closes. The eyes light up again and he takes his starting position in front of the open window. "How's everything looking?"

Toni taps away on the keyboard of the built in desk computer, glancing over the final statistics one last time. She throws a thumb up as she flies through the weather forecast and flight checks. "Clear skies and all systems go," she says, hiding her amused smirk at Loki's clearly bemused face. "Ready when you are."

Tony nods and turns back to the open air. "On my mark," he says as Toni pulls up his vitals. "Three…two…one…" The suit lifts off the ground a few inches before he tilts forward slightly and rockets out the window, the force of the take off scattering papers and Toni's hair as he soars into the horizon.

"Everything's holding steady," the brown haired girl says a few minutes later, eyes still locked on the screen in front of her. "Vitals are normal, no ice build up." A small smile tugs her lips up. "Looks like another success."

"Toni?" Tony calls, landing surprisingly light considering the actual weight of the suit. "Something came loose during the flight. My left thruster faltered a bit during a loop."

Her brows pull together in confusion and she moves from behind the computer, Loki trailing behind slightly. "Really?" she asks, crouching down beside her dad's leg. "Lemme see."

Tony shakes his head as the mask opens again. "It's hot," he warns. "I don't want you to get burned. Let me rack it first."

"I'll be fine," the girl protests, trying to physically lift the leg herself. "Just lemme see." A sigh of defeat passes the older Stark's lips and he lifts his leg, using the wall to stabilize himself. Toni takes hold of the foot and starts shaking things, instantly feeling the problem. "A bolt broke," she says, covering a wince as she reaches in a plucks both halves of the bolt from its place. "Must have snapped under the heat during the flame test. Did you remember to cover it?"

"I should have," Tony says, retaking his foot and hobbling forward, stepping on the plate so the mechanical arms can remove the suit. "I don't think we have any more bolts of the size either…"

Toni pushes her knees so that she's standing again, stretching out her shoulders from the long hours in the lab. "I could run out and get some," she offers, hoping he'd say ok. She honestly wants to use the time for a breakfast run with Loki, not knowing the next time she'll be able to feed him. She still feels bad for making him skip dinner a few days ago. "I need a break anyways."

"We need to get out of the lab," the father agrees, fanning himself with a clipboard having fully removed the suit. "I don't see how you could stand it in here. I feel like my face is melting off."

"Over dramatic much," the brown haired girl replies, walking toward the door. "It'd be pretty bad if your face melted. Think of the emotional scarring!"

"Hush," Stark replies, brushing past her and tapping her lightly on the head. "It's too hot for you to be yelling." He swings the door open and holds it for her, not noticing the sudden pause in her step. "Run and get the bolt. We'll put it in place and call it a day, sound good?"

"Sounds great," Toni replies, making sure Loki got out before she did. "It's been a good four hours, right?"

Tony nods and digs in his sweat pants pocket for a second, removing a thin, black credit card and poking Toni in the back with it. "Put it on this," he instructs.

The brown haired girl shakes her head and pushes the card away, earning a strange look from her father. "I still got cash left," she explains, motioning Loki towards her bedroom. "I'll use that. I need to get rid of it anyway."

"How much do you have left?" her dad asks, plopping on the couch once they reach the living room.

"Two fifty," the younger Stark calls, shoving a bill in her pocket. She nods her head to Loki and they move down the hall side by side. "I'll swing by the store and pick up something to eat on the way home."

"Wendy's," Tony suggests, flipping to _Transformers. _"I want a Baconator with fries and a Coke."

Toni throws a thumb up over her shoulder, already pressing the button for the elevator. "Got it," she assures when the doors slide open. "See you in a few minutes."

"Thanks, darling!" Tony calls, earning a round of laughter from his daughter.

Toni sighs once the fit passes and she rests her head on the back wall, feeling the floor under her descend. "I'm so stupid," she groans when a thought hits her, lifting her head and slamming it harder against the cool metal. "Stupid."

"You are not stupid," Loki says, catching her head as she raises it to slam again. "What happened?"

"I should have just stayed down here," she grumbles when the doors slide open. The tired looking girl pushes herself from the wall and walks out the door. "Damn…" She lifts her hand to the back of her head. "That hurt."

"It sounded painful," the black haired man consents, following the barefoot Stark through the garage to the red mustang. "Again, your pain tolerance surprises me."

"It shouldn't," the brown haired girl says through a half yawn, using her electric key fob to unlock the doors. "You saw first hand the pain I've been through as a child. Shit like that is nothing." She opens the door and slides in.

Loki follows her lead on the passenger side and closes the door, watching her dig around in the backseat for something. A moment later, she turns back to face forward, sliding on a pair of black shoes that show a good majority of her feet. He raises an eyebrow. "Shoes, coats, gloves," he lists. "Is there anything you do not have back there?"

"A body," she replies bluntly, starting the car and pulling down the driveway. "But keep plenty of stuff to dispose of one in my trunk. If anyone turns up missing, though, you know nothing."

Loki chuckles at her dark humor and watches the Malibu sights fly by at amazing speeds. It seemed like everyone in the Stark family loved to drive extremely fast. Her father nearly flipped the car when turning a too sharp corner; if it hadn't have been for Loki's magic, he would have. Despite the high speeds, the green-eyed man manages to take in the full beauty of the place with a slight longing to walk along the warm sands of the beach.

"Loki," Toni calls again, reaching over to shake his shoulder slightly. The god jumps and turns to face her, mildly irritated about being pulled from his trance. "We're almost to Wendy's, what do you want?"

"A milkshake," he responds quickly, shifting under the extreme uncomfort of the seat belt. "Chocolate this time. Banner said they were excellent."

An amused smile pulls Toni's lips up as she flicks her blinker on and pulls into the drive thru. "You can't survive off milkshakes your entire life, Loki," she scolds playfully. "You have to eat actual food too."

Loki copies the girl's smile. "Then I shall eat ice cream," he jokes lightly. "It is like a milkshake and a food all in one."

"You're ridiculous," she laughs, pulling up to the order station. "I'll get you some chicken nuggets and fries. How's that?"

"Are they any good?" he asks hesitantly. "I've never had them."

"Obviously," Toni says as the speaker starts talking. She orders quickly and pulls forward, turning back to Loki as the person in front of them retrieve their food. "Trust me, Lokikins. You'll love them. This place has the best nuggets around."

"How are the milkshakes?" the black haired man asks with a raised eyebrow while Toni pulls forward to get their food. "I have heard good things from the television but I have never tried them myself."

"Enough with the shakes!" the girl half cries in mock exasperation, reaching out to receive the order. "Just eat your nuggets and be happy."

Twenty minutes later, the pair pull into the driveway. Toni sighs and rests her head on the steering wheel after taking the key out of the ignition. "I gotta watch the brat in a few hours," she groans, listening to Loki open the car door. "You're coming with me right?"

Loki finishes off his shake and tosses it in the trashcan, along with his empty nugget and fry container. "Was there even an option for me not to?" he asks, watching Toni slide lazily from the car; her father's food and the bolts for the suit in one hand, the last of her cheeseburger in the other. "If there was, I would like the time to finish _Eldest. _The series is amazing."

"I know," she replies, nearly throwing her father's stuff in the trash when she tries to throw away the empty burger wrapper. "And no, you do not have a choice in the matter. If I got to watch the little shit, the least you can do is be there with me watching TV while he's asleep."

Loki chuckles lightly as the girl storms up the stairs, muttering the words that turn him invisible before following her up. He steps up the final stair in time to see Toni panic about the time and fling the older Stark his stuff before she darts down the hall. In the blink of an eye, the Jotun stands in the middle of the brown haired girl's room, making her squeak in fear upon seeing him.

"Toni?" her dad calls, hints of worry in his voice. "Is everything alright? What's going on?"

"Nothing, Daddy," she calls back, shooting Loki daggers as he smirks at her reaction. "Just slipped on the carpet." Silence, then a round of laughter, causing Toni to roll her eyes and start toward the bathroom, slamming the door roughly as she does. "Why am I so jumpy today?" she questions aloud, making Loki unsure on if she really wanted an answer or not. "I mean really, I was fine up until…the damned movies! That's it!" she says in victory, snatching her towel from the rack behind the door. "Those are the damned things that made me all jumpy!" She smiles happily as she walks in and closes the bathroom door. "I knew I'd figure it out eventually."

Loki sends an odd look to the closed door, hoping somehow it would reach Toni. Feeling like he's gotten his point across, the man slides to the bookshelf and plucks _Eldest _from its rightful place, opening it to his marked spot, he takes his spot on the edge of the bed to read. He finds himself having to reread the same sentence over and over, and even then it fails to register. The events of last night keep replaying in his mind, images of Thanos standing where he now sits, running a finger across Toni's face. Threatening her life in exchange for his.

Loki's grip on the book tightens, turning his knuckles white with the force. The book is slammed closed and set aside roughly; nearly missing the corner of the nightstand he sets it on. Loki leans forward and rests his elbows on his knees, taking fistfuls of his black locks into his hands. Never before has he felt like he's been under such pressure. Not on his many adventures with Thor as children. Not when he was being forced into the will of the Chitauri. Never.

Then again, back in those times, he's never had anyone else's life being threatened for his. It had always been his own life on the line when he done something. Thor could take care of himself and it was his own fault he got captured by the beastly race. He should have known something like this was going to happen as soon as he had gotten close to Toni. How Thanos found out about any of this is a new mystery in itself.

He never wanted to put Toni in harm; he just needed time to form a plan to avoid the Chitauri for as long as possible. Now that they know, that option has become virtually impossible. Thanos had made it very clear, his life in place of Toni's. Those terms were locked tight in meaning. If he fled now, the titan would still kill Toni. A sigh passes his lips as he comes to terms with his only alternative.

"Hey!" Toni barks, jarring Loki violently from his thoughts. She stands in front of him, soaking hair dripping onto the fluffy, blue towel that's tucked under her arms. "Earth to Frost Bite. Come in, Frost Bite."

Loki shakes his head to clear his mind and straightens, hopefully storing the thoughts away for a short while. "My apologies," he starts with a small bow of the head. "I did not notice you standing there."

"Obviously," she says, using the arm not holding the towel up to swat him lightly. "Now get in the closet. It's cold out here."

The black haired man does as told without question, earning a curious look from Toni just before the closet door closes. Darkness consumes him once again, but he has long since grown accustomed to it. Both darkness and the prodding of small objects have no effect on him. He's too lost in thought.

Toni swings open the door again, once again shaking Loki back to reality. A mildly worried look forms on her face as she helps her guest out of the confined space. "What's wrong Loki-babe?" she asks, standing on her toes to press the back of her hand to his forehead. "Are you sick? You can stay home if you are."

Leaving Toni completely defenseless against Thanos if he decides to turn up again? That's not happening. The black haired man reaches up and takes her hand into his own, a convincingly false reassuring smile pulling Loki's lips as he looks down at the girl. "I am fine, Toni," he says, hoping he has enough strength to make it sound as persuasive as he hopes. "I just feel a bit tired is all."

The brown haired girl stares at him for a moment, more curiosity clouding under the green in her eyes. Her mouth finally opens to respond, but her father cuts her off before she can make a sound. "Hey, Kid!" Tony calls, making his daughter groan loudly in protest. "You have twenty minutes to be out the door and make it there on time! Hurry up!"

Toni snags a pair of shoes from the bed and throws the door open, motioning for Loki to follow. "I'm coming!" she yells back, entering the living room with still bare feet. "Jeez, I don't wanna do this anyway."

"Too bad," the father says, pulling Toni into his chest for a hug. "You never had a choice in the matter and it's too late to turn back now."

Careful not to hit the arch reactor in his chest, Toni wraps her arms around his back in a return hug. "I hate it when you sign me up for stuff without asking," she mutters into the cotton of his shirt.

Tony laughs and pulls his daughter away, holding her at arm's length with a shit-eating grin on his face. "I know," he says cheerily. "That's why I do it." He turns her around and pushes her away lightly. "Now get out of here before I get bitched at."

Toni makes sure to whip around and stick her tongue out at her father before starting down the stairs to the garage. Loki stands at the bottom of the stairs, glancing around at the expensive collection of cars her father owns. "This is an impressive assortment your father has," he comments, listening as Toni selects a set of keys from the ring. "He must take great pride in his work."

"That he does, Lokipop," she says, enforcing the final p with the pop of her lips. "But he lets me drive them whenever I want. Surprising because the first day we started living together he swore he'd never let me even sit in one." She presses the button on the fob and the lights on the platinum colored Jaguar xj220 flash twice, indicating the doors are unlocked. "It's a tight fit," she says to Loki as he ducks into the thin car. "But you'll fit nonetheless."

"And come out with excruciating back pain," the black haired man says, closing the door when he gets in.

"I'll drive fast," Toni says, shooting him a scarily innocent look. "Just for my little Loki-babe." She puts the key into the ignition and the car purrs to life, making a small yet very excited smile play on her lips.

The look is enough to put Loki slightly on edge. "Uh, Toni?" he starts as she starts pulling out onto the driveway. "How fast are you planning on going?"

The smile widens as she flicks on her blinker to enter the interstate. "Fast enough to get you there without back pain," she clarifies, glancing one more time as the final car passes. "Meaning you better hold on to something."

"By all the Norns in Valhalla," the black haired man prays, pressing his eyes shut as he feels the vehicle start to move again. "Please, please let me get out of this alive."

The car pulls into the driveway barely ten minutes later, engine dying no later. Loki stumbles out of the passenger door, kneeling on the concrete as the world spins around him. "Thank the Angels!" he nearly cries, placing his cool forehead on the lukewarm driveway. "We made it!"

Toni opens her door and frowns slightly, tucking the key in the back pocket of her light blue skinny jeans. "Did you ever doubt we would?" she questions, nudging her door closed. "I mean seriously, Frosty. I had us the entire time. Besides, we barely broke a hundred ten."

"Still," Loki says, reclaiming his wits and struggling to climb to his feet again. "I am not used to speeds of that velocity. Horses can only go so fast."

"Well horsepower can clearly move faster," the brown haired girl comments, helping her friend to his feet. "Anyway we need to hurry, I gotta get in there."

"You go on ahead," Loki says, using the hood of the car as support for his still shaky legs. "I shall join you in a few moments. I need to regain my balance."

The brown haired girl snorts in merriment before leaving Loki as he said to. "Wimp," she shoots playfully as she hops up the stairs two at a time. She takes a moment to school her emotions and ring the doorbell.

A moment passes before the door opens, revealing a smiling man with brown hair and green eyed in the doorway. "Hello, Toni," Marcus says, pulling said girl into a bone crushing bear hug. It was nothing compared to Thor's and Steve's but it still hurt. "It's so good to see you!"

"You too, Mr. Carson," she responds awkwardly, patting his arm in hopes he would let go soon. "How are you?"

"I'm amazing!" the overly perky man says, releasing her from the death hug and holding her by the shoulders. "Thanks for doing this for us," he starts again. "Our babysitter quit on us at the last minute. We'll find a new one after tonight so we won't take up all your social life."

"It's no problem," Toni lies through her teeth, hoping to sound convincing. "Anyhow, you should get going. I don't want you to miss your reservation."

"We have plenty of time to get there," Jessica says, sliding on the second shoe in the silver heeled set she dons. Her light brown locks are pinned up in flowing curls, barely brushing her shoulder blades as she hobbles inelegantly down the stairs. "I just needed enough time to get Steven's dinner in the oven and make sure he was in the tub."

The false smile wipes clean from her face, leaving one of utter bemusement and mild horror. "He's not in bed yet?" she asks, eyebrow's rising slightly as Loki steps from the doorway in the living room. "I thought he would be asleep."

"Steven doesn't have a bed time on the weekends," the wife explains, sliding the strap of her small black purse over her shoulder. "He usually knocks out at around eleven though. Don't let him eat anything sweet after nine and keep him away from bad TV shows. Other than that, he's no problem at all."

"See you around twelve," Marcus calls, sliding an arm around Jessica's waist, guiding her down the stairs.

Toni waves stiffly, another clearly forced grin plastering her lips to her ears. When their baby blue minivan disappears down the road, she groans loudly and enters the warm home, slamming the door violently as she does.

"You may want to be more careful in a house that isn't yours," Loki comments, examining the multitude of family photos that hang from the walls above the equally covered side table. "If something breaks, you may have to pay for it."

"Money is of no issue," the brown haired girl says, plopping down on one of the hardwood stairs to untie her shoes. "Besides, I could just fix it before they get home."

Light pitter-patter of feet on the stairs above her draws Toni's attention from her feet. "Who are you talking to?" a boy with dark hair and green eyes asks, thumping obnoxiously down the final three stairs.

"Uh…" Toni starts, glancing at Loki. Once he says the spell is on, she turns back to the boy she assumes is Steven. "Myself," she says quickly. "Are you Steven?"

"Uh huh," he says, nodding his head from the bottom of the stairs. "Are my mommy and daddy gone?" he asks, emerald colored eyes blinking innocently.

Something sparks in Toni's chest, melting away all the previous assumptions about kids. "Yeah," she responds, pushing herself to her feet to look down at the likely seven year old. "Would you like to eat dinner now? I think it's done."

Steven nods once again and takes hold of Toni's hand, mentally making her aw and jump around at the adorableness. "Yes please," he responds politely, leading his babysitter to the kitchen. Maybe the night wasn't going to be so bad after all.

"Get back here you little brat!" Toni calls, sliding around the corner in hot pursuit of the supposed good boy. Immediately after dinner, Steven threw the plate on the floor, causing it to shatter and send three pieces of glass into her foot, and ran away. Toni, being the pain tolerant person she is, yanked the glass from her foot and darted after him. The chase so far has been going on for three hours, wearing Toni to the point of near exhaustion. "Steven Carson stop right where you a-"

Mustering more strength than Toni thought possible, the seven year old takes aim and lobs a full sized Tonka play truck at her, managing to hit her squarely in the head with no remorse. "You're not the boss of me!" the dark haired boy screams as Toni falls to her back. He sticks out his tongue in a raspberry and runs up the stairs, the sound of a door being slammed heard shortly after.

"My god," Loki says in concern, helping Toni sit up, watching as she attempts to stop the bleeding from the new cut in her face. "Are you ok?"

Rage flares under the surface of Toni's eyes as she uses Loki's shoulder to stand. "That little shit's gonna get it now," she growls, uncovering her cheek to allow the blood to flow freely. "First my foot, now my face? No." With a new determination, the brown haired girl stomps up the stairs, Loki hot on her heels having seen her wobble slightly.

"I have a plan," the black haired man says once they reach the top of the stairs. "You get him secured and I'll cast a sleeping spell on him. The effects will last long into the next day and make more trouble for the parents when they return."

A scary grin pulls the brown haired girl's lips up as she spots the only closed door in the house. "Sounds good," she responds, approaching the door while cracking her knuckles. "Get ready, we're going in hot."

She grips the knob and turns, clicking quietly after being turned half an inch. More anger fills her eyes and she turns the knob several more times, all ending in the same result. "Leave me alone!" Steven screams from behind the door. "I want my mom!"

"She'll pick you up from the hospital if you don't open the damned door," the girl grumbles in response. "I'm kicking it in…"

Loki shakes his head and puts a hand on her shoulder to stop her from moving. "No need," he assures, taking his hand from her shoulder to put on the knob. "Observe." The man closes his eyes and focuses, a thin trail of silver light flowing from his fingertips to the inside of the lock. A faint tick is heard and Loki smiles, removing his hands from the door. "There."

Toni barely hears the word before she throws the door open and storms in. "Alright, you little punk!" she yells, making the seven-year-old scream in surprise and horror. "Get over here!"

Steven makes a mad dash for the door, being caught by Toni as he attempts to run around her legs. The boy thrashes and screams, still being held fast by the angry teen, jerking his head back to catch her in the lip. Her grip loosens instinctively and Steven drops just as Loki finishes the spell. A dark blue haze surrounds Toni and she drops, snoring lightly despite the screams of the fleeing seven year old.

"Damn," the black haired man swears, ignoring the boy to rush to Toni's side. He grabs her by the shoulder and shakes her slightly. "Come on, Toni," he says loudly. "Wake up. Come on. We need to put this boy to bed before his parents return."

Light groans of annoyance fall from Toni's lips as she blinks awake, confusion evident in her eyes. "What the hell, Loki?" she scolds weakly, pushing herself up with a yawn. "You were supposed to hit the shit, not me."

"My apologies," he says, helping the hazel-eyed girl to her feet once again. "I'll make sure to be more specific when casting the spell next time."

Toni's lips part to respond, but the words are quickly cut off by the sound of something big breaking from downstairs. "Shit!" she hisses, pushing past Loki to race down after the noise. Her jaw drops at the sight of the large fine China cabinet on the ground, pieces of glass being scattered around the disaster.

"Oooo!" the boy says from the behind the fallen cabinet, watching in delight as Toni gathers fistfuls of her hair in her hands. "Momma's not gonna like that."

"Damn you," she growls, lunging after the boy again, this time getting a decent grip on his wriggling body. "Now!" the brown haired girl calls to Loki, keeping her head away from Steven's.

Loki finishes the spell and directs the haze at the correct person, enveloping Steven and causing him to go limp in Toni's arms. Toni sighs tiredly and slumps forward, laying the now sleeping boy away from the shattered glass. "Finally!" she screams, licking a bit of blood from her lip. "I thought for sure you would miss again."

"Ye of little faith," Loki chuckles, wandering over to stand beside her. "What do you plan on doing with all this?"

Toni clicks her tongue in thought. "Well," she starts, glancing around at the foot shaped bloodstains that trail around the house. "Seeing as it's nearly ten, I think I'm going to clean up my foot and head. Then I'm going to clean up the house and go to bed." She stretches her arms out in front of her, popping her knuckles in preparation. "Better get started."

"Allow me," the black haired man says, holding an arm out to stop her. "After all, I barely helped at all throughout the night." Toni ponders the thought then steps back, motioning her arms in a go ahead manner. Loki nods once and turns his attention back to the house, closing his eyes in mild concentration. Foreign words slide off his tongue, the spell as natural as breathing to him. He's had to use the spell multiple times throughout his childhood, constantly cleaning up the wide array of strange messes Thor made. Messes he managed to successfully hide before the guards or someone of the sort rushed in.

Toni watches in awe as dancing purple lights float from around Loki, locating a piece of the disaster and returning it to its former state. The cabinet straightens and the China plates all rebuild themselves without a trace of ever being broken. Blood that dots the ground is quickly whisked away and the stains cleared. When the spell is finished, the house looks like nothing happened.

"Wow," she says, looking around as Loki opens his eyes. "That's impressive. I wanna learn magic now."

Loki chuckles and motions for her head. "I hate to break it to you again," he says, placing a hand over the bloody gash in her under her eye. "But you have no magical ability at all. Not even the slightest traces of the element run through your veins."

Toni scoffs and listens to him say the same healing words as before. "Whatever," she says, flexing her jaw as he moves to heal her lip next. "I can learn card magic like the magicians in Vegas."

This time Loki laughs out loud, guiding her to a chair to fix her foot. "Those magicians as you call them have no magical talent either," he says through his fit, helping her sit as to not hurt her foot any further. "They simply act like they do by using cheap tricks and false objects."

"Kill…. fucking…. joy," the brown haired girl grumbles while her guest mends her foot. "Seriously. All my dreams were just crushed by you…"

"Sorry," the black haired man says as he finishes the spell. "But I feel like you know that just as well as I do."

Hazel orbs roll to the ceiling as the owner pushes herself to her feet. "You know what, Loki," she says, turning her back to him to walk to the TV. "You don't know what I believed, and I honestly believed in magic until you just shot me down."

Another round of chuckles fall from Loki's lips as he sits on the couch in front of the box. "You can not lie to the god of lies," he says as Toni turns back around. He watches her mouth fall open to respond, then snap shut and she plops down beside him.

"Shut up," she grumbles in defeat, flipping to _Sherlock Holmes. _A thought crosses her mind and she stands again, gathering the small boy into her arms and carrying him to bed. After she tucks him in, she trudges back down and yawns, flopping back on the couch with little care.

The two sit in silence and stare at the screen, Loki the only one actually watching the movie. Toni drifts off and curls onto her side, using the armrest as a makeshift pillow. Loki glances at her occasionally, removing his jacket to drape over her lightly when she starts shivering. She curls tighter and grips the jacket, pulling it higher on her shoulders.

Once she's been settled, an uneasy feeling forms in the pit of Loki's stomach. Half an hour passes and the feeling still doesn't leave, the feeling as if they aren't alone. He knows the boy is going to sleep until around noon tomorrow and that he's asleep upstairs. But it's not Steven that's giving Loki problems.

Taking an extra precautionary measure, the black haired man mutters more words, casting a seal over the house. Now no one but the parents of the boy can enter, not without bursting into flames at least. Feeling a tad more confident in his and Toni's security, the sorcerer pulls the jacket higher on Toni and refocuses on the movie.

The end credits just begin to roll as the minivan's headlight flash through the window, nearly blinding Loki as he blinks back into reality. Once confirming that it is in fact the parents pulling up, the green-eyed man retakes his jacket and shakes Toni's shoulder. "Time to wake up, Toni," he says quietly, earning a tired mumble in response. "Steven's parents are here. We can leave now."

Toni sits straight up, rubbing her eyes to fully awaken herself. "Really?" she asks, rising to her feet. "Yay! An actual bed!" She treads silently to the front door and tugs on her shoes, sitting on the stairs for the adults to actually enter the house before leaving. When the key is slid in the door, Loki snaps his fingers and leaves, standing beside the shiny car patiently.

Every so often, Loki would turn and glance down the street, assuring and reassuring himself nothing is going to happen. Yellow lights flash from the car and he jumps harshly, biting his tongue to keep from making it explode with a word.

"Geez, Frosty," the brown haired girl says, walking around to open her door. "You've been jumpy and spacey. Are you sure nothing's wrong?"

"I am positive," he says bitterly, sliding into the car beside her, closing the door with more force than anticipated. Toni shoots him a look of disbelief but he refuses to meet her gaze, knowing she'll see right through him if she does. The girl starts the car and pulls out of the driveway, not driving half as fast as she was before.

"All right, Loki," she starts, the seriousness in her tone driving the black haired man to look at her. "What's honestly wrong with you? You're never this jumpy, even after the movies. Talk to me."

For a moment, he considers it. Just opening up and telling her about the visit last night and how he's planning on leaving to keep her safe. That part is easily silenced as the thought of her arguing with him takes over. He knows she'd never let him leave willingly; he can tell she too has become too comforted by the other presence in her life. It's better that she not know anyway, she'd say she can handle herself and do whatever it takes to keep him safe and Thanos away. He doesn't want to put her health at risk by staying and putting her on constant high alert.

With the thought in mind, he turns and smiles reassuringly, putting the remainder of his strength into lying to her. "I am fine, Toni," he starts, seeing some of the suspicion melt from her eyes. "Honestly. I am just a bit tired is all. We did just wrestle a fighting child for five hours."

Toni laughs slightly and turns back to the street in front of her, pressing harder on the gas to put them at an even ninety six miles per hour. "I wrestled the child," she corrects, turning the same corner her dad did when they nearly flipped. "You just put him to sleep and fixed the house. You have no right to be tired."

Loki laughs at her teasing, mentally sighing in relief at the fact his lie worked. They usually did, but he felt that this one was less convincing as his many others. "You are right," he agrees, seeing the Stark house come into view. "I must have stayed up later than usual last night."

"Well get some more sleep tonight," she says through a yawn. "I don't want you falling asleep while Dad's here. I'm not sure how your magic works but I don't want the invisibility to fade while he's in there."

The black haired man nods as they pull into the garage, the bright lights on the ceiling making him wince slightly. Toni swings her door open as the car stops. "J," she calls to the air. "Dim the lights to about forty five percent. It hurts."

"Right away, Toni," the AI says as the lights darken slightly, leaving a soft glow in the room. "Is this alright?"

"Yeah," she responds as Loki climbs from the car. "Thanks, Jar." The brown haired girl yawns and stretches, turning to her similarly stretching friend. "Well, Lo," she says. "I guess you gotta go invisible. Are you hungry? I can snag you something when we pass the kitchen."

Loki shakes his head and drops his arms, muttering the words of invisibility before responding. "I am fine," he says, following Toni as she enters the elevator. "Hunger does not come to me as easily as it does Thor."

Toni nods and yawns again, deeper this time. "I see," she comments around the outburst. The doors slide open and the brown haired girl steps out, greeting her father and Pepper with tired hugs. "I think I'm gonna turn in early tonight," she explains, rubbing the back of her neck. "That kid…."

Tony holds up a hand to silence her, a look of pity on her face. "Enough said," he starts. "You look like hell. Go sleep. You need it."

The brown haired girl nods and walks to her room, shutting the door before simply flopping face first on the bed, not bothering to even attempt to change into her pajamas. Within seconds, Toni's breathing evens out and she's asleep, making Loki sigh. "You could at least take off your shoes," he says quietly, snapping his fingers and making her shoes and socks appear in a corner of the room. He moves her carefully so that she's lying in bed properly, pulling the thin sheet over her shoulders as she stirs to get comfortable.

When she finally settles down, Loki snaps his fingers and is in his own pajamas, strolling to his side of the floor. He lies down and tugs the blanket over his own shoulders, rolling on his back to stare at the cracked ceiling. The moonlight shines through the blinds in the window, making it that much more tempting to sleep. But it refuses to come, fearing Thanos's threatened return. The titan didn't give a specific time on his return, but he said they would meet again.

The Jotun turns on his shoulder, watching the shadows move around under the door, light from the hallway casting a small golden beam across the floor. He hears Tony and Pepper's voices faintly, words too muffled to be made out fully. The light shuts off in the hallway and the already small voices of the two disappear completely.

Now in almost complete darkness, Loki turns back on his back, a small knot of worry forming in his gut. He mutters the same sealing spell he put on the Carson's house on the room, making him feel a little better. His stomach growls loudly and startles him, pulling him into realization on how hungry he actually is. The man pushes himself up to Toni's level, part of him considering the thought of waking her to help him find something to eat.

The more dominant part, however, stands and brushes a piece of Toni's hair from her face and moves silently out the door. He reaches the kitchen without any issues, not even Jarvis comments on the god's late night eating habits. Loki mutters the spell and a small, dim ball of light forms in front of him, giving him just enough light to see what's in front of him. The man moves to the first cabinet and pulls the door open, seeing nothing of any interest.

He repeats the process with each cabinet and the cupboards, still not finding anything that pops out to him. Something that Toni said to him a few days ago makes itself apparent in his mind. A memory of something almost exactly the same scenario. What was that saying she said? Oh yeah; if nothing stands out at first, close the doors, step back, lower your standards, repeat.

Taking the advice, he takes a few steps back and closes his eyes, making anything available. After a few breaths, he opens his eyes and steps forward, opening the first cabinet again. A box of cookies and cream pop tarts appears in his line of vision, suddenly becoming the best thing in the world. The god reaches out to lift a package out of the box when the lights flick on, causing every muscle in his body to tense.

"I don't know who you are," the older Stark starts, stepping into the light with his arms folded across his chest. "But I gotta say, robbing a house for pop tarts while wearing pajamas is new to me. I mean really, who robs a house for pop tarts in the middle of the night?"

_Damn, _Loki thinks repeatedly, trying to steady his undoubtedly pounding heart. He should have been more careful and put the invisibility charm on. _Damn._

"Now," Tony says calmly, shifting his weight to his other foot. "Why don't you turn around slowly so I can see your face? Maybe I'll even let you off with a warning this time. You're not taking anything valuable anyway. No use in calling the police right?"

Loki sighs in mild concern and fear, already planning how this is going to end. Mental images in mind, he slowly raises his arms in the air and turns around, noticing the immediate change in attitude in the father Stark. "Loki?" he asks in disbelief, feeling the pent up anger well up again. "Jarvis! I need the suit!" Seconds later, the gold and red Iron Man suit flies in front of the owner and he steps in, holding his arms out as the palms begin to glow.

Loki blinks a few times, staring dumbfounded as a ball of white light is fired at his head. "Damn…."


	9. Chapter 9

**Thanks for all my wonder viewers and reviewers! I love you all and i hope this chapter is better than the last!**

**A special thanks to thegirlpod for her wonder words of encouragement! On to the chapter!**

Explosion number one violently jars Toni from her sleep, panic welling in her core as she fumbles for her gloves under the pillow. Explosion number two makes her roll from the bed completely, smacking the area Loki sleeps in attempt to wake him as well, hands still fumbling with the gloves. Explosion number three happens during the time it takes her to get the gloves and become confused at the empty area she sits in. The forth explosion sounds when realization hits and explosion number five barely has time to register before she's darting down the hall. "Shit, shit, shit, shit, shit!"

Toni sees Loki disappear from the line of another one of her father's hand cannon blasts, only to reappear behind the gold and red clad man. "Please, Man of Iron," the god says, voice swirling on the thin line between calmness and total fear as Tony whips around for another blast. "If you would refrain from attempting to kill me I would be most grateful."

"Grateful my ass!" the older Stark snaps, raising his arm as the palms begin to glow again. "What the hell are you doing in my house?"

"Dad!" Toni calls, bolting from her spot as Loki disappears around another attack. "Stop! He's not the enemy!"

Iron Man turns on his daughter, confusion evident on the face behind the mask. "What the hell are you talking about?" he asks, scanners locking onto Loki as he reappears near the back of the room. "Of course he is! Now help me! This bastard's trying to steal our pop tarts!"

"Really!?" the brown haired girl questions, turning to her black haired friend with a look of disappointment and annoyance. "You blow this shit for _pop tarts_? I'm ashamed of you, Loki!" The blast charges up and before she realizes what's going on, Toni's in front of Loki. Her arms fly in front of her face automatically, the nano-machines forming a light blue shield in front of both people as the white light flies toward them.

Toni gets very disappointed in her work as her father's blast cuts through the shield like butter, horror replacing the disappointment as she realizes the beam is still coming at her. Much to her extreme surprise, she catches the ball with her hands, all eyes focused on her. "Well then," she starts nervously, balancing the energy between both hands. "I take it this is a surprise to everyone?" Pain shoots through her arms as the gloves melt away, leaving nothing to protect her skin against the full heat of the ball. With an yelp of agony, Toni quickly rids herself of the beam by throwing it at the coffee table, a thousand pieces of wood coinciding with the other pieces of debris that lie scattered in the battlefield.

She quickly yanks the melted leather and metal from her hands and discards them as well, eyes locked on the blistering skin of her hands. "Son of a fuck," she growls, blowing cool air on her palms in attempt to cease the pain.

Tony lands the suit and removes the mask, a mixture of anger, concern, and bemusement swirling on his face. "What are you doing?" the father asks, eyes set on Loki as he tenderly lifts Toni's hands to his eye level. "Don't touch her," he continues, raising his arm in preparation for another cannon blast. "Or I swear I'll blow your head off where you stand."

Loki takes heed of the warning, despite the fact he knows the blast won't do much, and releases the girl. His arms hang in the air as he takes a few steps to the left. "I don't not mean her any harm," he states calmly. "I only wish to help."

"Yeah, like hell, buddy," Tony says, holding an arm out toward his daughter. "Toni, get over here. We'll take care of your hands as soon as we call Nick."

The words make the girl temporarily forget the pain in her hands, pure terror shining brightly under the green tint in her eyes. She straightens instantly and steps in front of Loki defensively. "You can't," she nearly shouts, watching as Pepper hesitantly steps up the last step, baseball bat secured tightly in her hand.

"Is that Loki!?" the strawberry blonde says in alarm, suddenly wishing she'd just let Tony handle it as he said he would. "What's he doing here?"

"What do you mean I can't?" Tony asks, halfway dismissing Pepper's question to focus on the task at hand. "He's a wanted war criminal on Earth and in Asgard as I recall. Not telling would be stupid on our part. And why so defensive of our little bundle of hate all of a sudden?"

Toni grits her teeth and tries not to clench a fist at the sudden nervousness that has overtaken her, the pain in her hands still throbbing agonizingly. She hoped this day would never come and they could just live out the rest of their lives wondering where Loki went without ever finding out. That Loki could just continue to fall asleep on the floor of her room until she chose to move out, finally giving him his own bed instead of the undoubtedly irritating pile of sheets. She at least hoped they could have made it another month without being caught.

Fate clearly had a different had a different idea on how things would work out, all their effort being brought down by something so petty as a pop tart. Something was bound to go wrong though, she thinks bitterly toward herself, eyes locking on a random point on the ground. Things were going way too good for it to be real. It was bound to fail.

A defeated sigh passes her lips as her head falls into her chest, deciding to tell them in the same manner she told Steve and Bruce. Fast and painful, like a band-aid. "You can't tell Nick that Loki's here because I told Loki he can stay," she states quietly, already feeling her father's shocked look on the top of her head. "He's been sleeping on my floor ever since he landed on the roof a few weeks ago…"

"And you've been keeping him a secret from us the entire time?" Pepper questions in place of Tony, who glares harshly at the two across the room. "He's a dangerous war criminal, Toni. What would you have done if he would have tried to kill you?"

"He wouldn't," the brown haired girl starts, lifting her head but still avoiding eye contact with her parents. "You may not believe me but he changed, he really did."

"Oh yeah?" Tony starts harshly, the force of the words causing Toni to flinch and take a small step backwards. "How am I supposed to believe that? In case you forgot, Toni, this is the same man who took over Hawkeye and Doctor Selvig, brought an entire army of aliens to Manhattan, threw me out a window, destroyed the Stark Tower, killed thousands of people and tried to end the freedom of the entire human race. Not to mention he killed Agent Coulson and blew up your turkey. Or have you forgotten that?" He crosses his arms over his chest and shakes his head in disbelief as Pepper edges closer to his side. "Pardon me if I'm a little shaky on believing he's changed from all that in three and a half months."

"Dad," Toni nearly begs. "Trust me, please. He's not dangerous, I swear. If he was, don't you think he would have killed you by now? He's been around you guys long enough to get a clean kill in if he wanted to."

"He's playing you, Toni!" the brown haired man nearly shouts, unfolding his arms to ball his hands into fists at his sides. "Can't you see it? He's the God of Lies! As soon as you think you're safe with him, BOOM! He's shoving a knife down your throat while peeling your eyes from their sockets!"

Toni winces at the mental images and takes another step back, biting back the pain in order to clutch the bottom part of Loki's pajama shirt. "I made him pinkie promise he wouldn't kill anyone while he's here," she retorts weakly, eyes falling back to their place on her feet. "He's kept that promise so far. Honestly, the only bad thing he did while he was here was accidentally rip the arm off my panda bear. But he fixed it by hand with a needle and thread."

"I don't care if he fixed it with superglue and an oven mitt!" the Avenger exclaims, throwing his arms in the air. "He's not staying here! I'm calling Nick."

"Fine," Toni said, moving beside Loki instead of in front of him. "Then you're going to have to turn me in, too. I harbored him after all. Making me just as much a criminal as him."

"Enough of this," Pepper chimes sternly, still cowering slightly behind Tony. "You are not a criminal. Get over here now."

Loki lifts his arm and places it lightly on Toni's shoulder, a soft and saddened smile on his lips. "Do not worry, Toni," he starts, hoping to sound reassuring instead of sad. "It will be alright. Go back to your family."

"No!" Toni says, throwing his hand off and shaking her head, tears starting to fill her eyes and trail down her face. "No! It's not right! You haven't done anything bad at all since you've been here! You shouldn't have to go to jail just because you're here! It's not right!"

She whips around and glares at her dad. "Weren't you always the one who told me to stand up for what you believed in, even when everyone else is against you? Well this is what I believe in! I believe he's changed for the good! He hasn't even made one declaration of righteous power or mortals being below him or anything! In fact, I think he actually likes it here." The almost hysterical girl pauses for a breath, tears now flowing freely from their ducts. She inhales deeply and closes her eyes, once again ignoring her burning hands to clench a fist at her side. "He knows what he's done was wrong and he's sorry. He understands that sorry won't do anything to bring back the people he's killed, but nothing rectifies sending him back to that clearly barbaric race."

Her tear shined eyes reopen and lock onto her father's, noting the mild cracks in his stony exterior. "Loki came to me in his time of need knowing I wouldn't turn him away," she starts, voice barely above a whisper. "We're friends, Dad, and even before the invasion, we've been friends. I can't turn him away now… Please don't make me…"

There is a heavy tension in the air as the room falls silent, Loki darting his eyes between the teary eyed girl in front of him and her glaring father across the room. He still feels Toni's tight grip on his shirt, surprising him immensely that she has enough pain tolerance to cling to him as tightly as she does. In fact, one might think that she didn't feel anything at all. He can tell she does though; her grip fluctuates between killer's hold to baby hands every so often.

Tony surprises everyone in the room when he finally breaks the silence in the room, air still heavy with anxiety. "I want to talk to him," he says. "Loki. By himself."

"No way!" Toni objects, pushing Loki back as she back peddles a few steps. "You're going to hurt him!"

"I'm not," the father retaliates. "See?" The suit hisses slightly as the back opens completely, Tony stepping out with his arms by his side. "Now go. If he's changed so much he won't have a problem with it."

"I do," the brown haired girl starts, grip on Loki's shirt tightening. "You're just going to kick his ass, restrain him and call Nick."

"Toni Rebecca Stark," Tony says, losing his patience and making Toni flinch at the sound of her full name. "Leave now or I _will_ call Nick."

Toni breathes heavily through her nose, releasing her clutch on the shirt and starting toward the stairs. "Jarvis, lock the suits," she instructs, pulling the door open with a pain filled hiss. "Put the active one away and don't let Dad get them out till further notice."

Before Tony could object, the door is slammed shut and the suit flies away, silence consuming them once again. The three stand as they had before Toni left. Loki stands awkwardly near the large wall of windows, as always, trying to avoid the piercing glare of the brown haired man on his face. He doesn't turn away despite the uncomfort, knowing as soon as he does Stark would take it as a threat.

As always, Tony slowly makes his way to the bar, Pepper right on his heels as he pulls a glass bottle of amber liquid from under the counter. "Want one?" he offers Loki, holding up an empty glass and the bottle.

Loki jumps slightly at the question, pondering whether or not the offer was a serious one, or just one of sarcasm. He remembers how during the invasion, before he threw Tony out the window, he had offered him a drink. Later he accepted but he never got it. He was muzzled and bound soon after. "No thank you," the god replies, shaking his head slightly as the genius takes a sip from the glass in his hand.

Tony shrugs and moves from the bar while Pepper lingers behind the counter, knuckles turning white with the force she holds the bat with. "Three and a half weeks, huh?" he starts, slowly pacing the floor between the bar and the couch. "That's a pretty long time to have been sleeping on the floor."

"It has sufficed for the time," the black haired man says, folding his arms behind his back to hide the mild shake they hold. "It was much worse when we were still at the tower. Hard wood is very uncomfortable."

Despite the tension in the air, Tony manages a small chuckle at the comment. "I believe that much," he agrees, taking another sip of the drink. The smile is wiped clean and he stops, turning to fully face Loki with a serious expression. "Why here?" he questions. "Why the tower? Why Toni? More importantly, why did you come back from Asgard? Weren't they supposed to be planning your trials or whatever?"

Loki purses his lips and nods his head. "The deliberations have been made months ago," he explains, locking his eyes on the space just beside the other man's head. "I was to be sent back to the Chitauri, but I knew all that awaited me there was pain. I did not want to face that again."

Tony raises an eyebrow in confusion as he lowers the glass. "What do you mean again?"

A sigh passes Loki's lips as he moves his eyes from the wall to the floor. "It was not my own biddings that made me come to Midgard," he starts quietly. "I was bent into the will of the ruler by various forms of torture. He would of course make this experience more painful than before, seeing as I have failed in my mission of conquest." He lifts his head and finally meets the gaze of Tony, noticing a strange mixture of emotions playing in the chocolate brown orbs. "I did not wish to be sent back to that, so, with a stroke of dumb luck, I managed to change the destination to the only place I knew best. It was pure coincidence that Toni came out after that."

The brown haired man nods and finishes off the drink, setting the now empty glass to the side. "How come no one from Asgard has managed to find you yet?" he asks. "I mean, don't they have some sort of guard tower or someone looking for you? Other than Thor, I mean."

Loki nods. "Indeed," he responds. "Heimdall, the all seer, should be searching the Nine Realms for me as we speak. Once I landed on Stark Tower, I cast a spell that made me invisible to his gaze."

Tony nods once more, still fitting some of the pieces together in his head while some lay discarded. "How long were you planning on staying here exactly?"

"As long as needed. I wasn't going to stay for more than half a year if it is any condolence."

The genius holds up a hand in confusion. "So you were planning on sleeping on my daughter's bedroom floor where ever we went for half a year?" He releases a bit of surprised air, floating back to the bar to refill his glass. "This ruler guy must be pretty bad to make YOU wanna hide out in fear."

Another odd silence fills the air, only sound being the small splashes of the brandy hitting the bottom of the glass. Pepper hesitantly lifts a hand, earning all eyes in the room. "I have something to say," she starts, meeting the mischief god's curious gaze. She's almost sure he's forgotten her in all the chaos. Her hand lowers and her grip on the bat loosens. A slight uncomfort washes over her under the emerald stare, causing her to shift and look at Tony. "Obviously they've been doing a pretty good job at hiding the fact that a wanted war criminal has been staying in our house for the past near month," she starts, still feeling Loki's eyes on her. "I mean, maybe it's a good thing."

Tony's eyes widen in slight shock, stunned at the fact that Pepper is actually siding with them. Even Loki's eyes widen a little. "What are you talking about?" the brown haired man asks, capping the bottle and sliding it aside. "He's dangerous, Pepper. We can't have our daughter walking around with a guy that could potentially kill everyone!"

"He hasn't yet," Pepper says calmly, taking Tony's hand into her own. "As Toni said before, I'm sure he would have killed us earlier if he wanted to. Besides, think about it. Toni hasn't blown anything up in her spare time since Loki's been here. He actually gives her something to do while we're gone. And while she's busy with Loki, we can be busy ourselves."

Loki turns away as Pepper stands on her toes and whispers in Tony's ear. "Alright," Tony says once the whispering stops, giving Loki the OK to turn around. "You can stay. We'll move your stuff to a room in a minute so you won't have to sleep on the floor anymore."

The god nods in appreciation, releasing a breath he didn't even know he was holding. "Thank you, Stark," he says with a small smile. "I will tell Toni." He turns his head up slightly. "Jarvis, where is Toni?"

"She is on the roof, I believe," the AI responds, earning a questioning look from Tony. "She was upset when she went up there. No doubt the good news will cheer her up."

"Wait a minute," the billionaire says as Loki crosses the floor to the staircase. "Jarvis, you knew about this the entire time and didn't tell me?"

"Ms. Stark seemed happy about the arrangement," the computer retorts. "This was honestly the most effort I've seen put up on her part."

"You still didn't tell me," Tony nearly whines, making Loki chuckle in quiet amusement. "You traitorous bastard."

The god opens the door to the roof and is met by a small burst of chilly night air, making the setting feel more comfortable to him. Usually the air in Malibu is unbearably hot and humid, leaving him feeling sticky until they returned to the house. Toni later explained the drastic temperature difference was because of a wonderful invention called air conditioning. He steps onto the cold concrete and smiles, enjoying the feel of something other than heat to be shrouded in.  
Toni sits on the edge of the roof, legs dangling over the edge with her back facing the door. Her saddened, hazel eyes stare off into the distance, mind to clouded to focus on the beautiful moonlight as is casts its shining silver reflection onto the dark blue of the water. Immense worry keeps her from feeling the burning pain in her hands as she picks the burnt skin from her palms. The only thing that pulls her from her thoughts is the sudden coldness that encases her hands, drawing her attention to the mischief god's face.

"Maybe you're right," he starts before muttering the healing spell over her hands. "Maybe I somehow cast a spell on you that only makes you get hurt while in my presence. How I did not realize it sooner has me completely baffled."

Regardless of the sadness that lingers in her core, the brown haired girl manages to pull an amused chuckle from her lips as she clenches and unclenches a fist to test the strength of her newly healed hands. "Well you are a master sorcerer and whatnot," she starts through the ghost of a smile. "Maybe you managed to put a forgetting spell on yourself that made you forget it."

A fake puzzled expression plays on Loki's face, eyes wandering to the sky. "I do not recall ever learning an amnesia spell," he says, folding his arms across his chest. "I think I would have remembered something like that."

More chuckles fall from Toni's lips and Loki soon follows suit, giggling like mad schoolgirls before settling into a mildly comforting silence. "Do you remember the first time we met?" Toni says after a moment passes, drawing Loki from the picturesque view of the ocean. "Not when you came here this time. I mean the first first time. When you were still in the helicarrier?"

This time, Loki turns his eyes skyward in actual remembrance, a small smile pulling his lips up at the memory. "I do," he responds. "You were much less violent back then."

"And you were way more irritating," she jokes back, turning her back to him to straddle the concrete ledge they sit on. She relaxes and leans against him, eyes falling shut as her head tilts to rest on his shoulder. "You kept calling me small mortal or young maiden or tiny Stark."

"I never learned your name," he defends through a smile. "You were too busy worrying about your clam chowder and childish games."

Toni scoffs. "At least my games didn't sound like a free therapy session," she retorts. "I mean really, a game where I had to say the first word that pops into my mind after you say a word? Really Loki? You were a kid once."

"Indeed I was," Loki admits. "But we grew out of games and such by the time we were your age. We had to focus on our studies and prepare to take the throne of Asgard."

"That sounds boring," she says, eyes opening to look at the star dotted sky above. "Then again, you're all about the studying aren't you Loki-babe? You probably enjoyed it."

"As a matter of fact, I did," the black haired man says around a smirk of amusement. "I wouldn't be the gifted sorcerer or scholar I am today had I been more like Thor."

Toni snorts happily and laughs, tilting her head back slightly to see the side of his face. "I haven't studied a day in my life," she starts. "And yet, here I am building technology like my dad, proving all those people who think people need to study to learn wrong!" She reaches her arm up and pats his head, straightening her head so that it just rests on his shoulder again. "It's not all that important Loki."

"Maybe not for you mortals," the god starts, smile still touching the edges of his lips. "Your work is so simple a small child could master it within a week. The work on Asgard was much more challenging. Even your so-called "foreign languages" are only basic compared to the multiple languages we had to learn as children."

"Well sorry for not speaking alien," she laughs softly, tone not holding her usual childlike mirth. Once the laughter dies down again, the two settle into another comfortable silence. A soft breeze blows in from the water, sending a faint scent of the sea into their nostrils. "I'm sorry we got caught," Toni says suddenly, more sadness tracing the edges of her voice. "More so, I'm sorry I didn't feed you. If I did…"

Loki shushes her softly, brushing a strand of hair from her face as her sentence trails off. "It is no fault of yours," he assures, shifting so she's resting against his chest, arms wrapped around her to shield her from the night chill in the air. "I was the one who continually denied the offers. It was also my fault we got caught. My hunger got the best of me later on and I acted upon it."

"I should have woken up when you did," she nearly whispers, a new wave of tears threatening to pour from her eyes. She inhales shakily and is quickly cooed to silence by Loki again, taking a minute to regain herself. They lapse into silence again, burying her face into the crook of Loki's arm. "I'm sorry," she whispers again, trying to force back the tears. "I'm so sorry."

"It is not your fault," Loki says, lifting her head so he can fully see her face. "I was careless. You were asleep. None of this happened because of you."

Another moment of silence settles in and Toni's head reburies itself in Loki's arm, her own arms wrapping around his as if he'll disappear if she lets go. Loki surprises himself by placing a small kiss on the top of her head before looking out over the ocean again. Five minutes pass before Toni finally unwraps herself from the god, swinging her other leg over the side and landing on the cold concrete silently. "We better go," she says quietly. "You have a lot of stuff to move."

The black haired man nods and mimics the girl's actions, standing beside her and walking to the stairs. The trip back to the living room is silent, only being broken by her father's declaration of getting Loki's stuff ready. The trio walks to Toni's room and into the closet, another flick of Loki's wrist causing all the bags to float in the orderly line as they did when they first got them.

"When's Nick coming?" Toni asks, red eyes lowering back to the ground.

Tony raises an eyebrow and turns to Loki, using his thumb to point at his daughter while his other hand scratches the back of his head. "You didn't tell her?" he asks, earning a set of raised brows from Toni. "Is that why she's all depressed and stuff?"

"I knew I was forgetting to do something," Loki says, tapping his chin with one of his slender fingers.

Toni's eyes dart between the two men in front of her, confusion clear on her slightly puffy face. "What are you two talking about?" she asks. "Seriously."

"Toni," Tony says, a wide grin spreading on his lips. "Loki's staying!" Toni's eyes stay on her father, unspoken questions swirling beneath the green tint in her eyes. "Yeah!" he continues. "I was surprised too! Then Pepper and me thought it would be best, seeing as you don't blow anything up while Loki's around. Plus you always seem so bored and lonely when we leave…."

Without warning, Toni whips around and glares at Loki. "Why the hell didn't you tell me sooner?" she nearly shouts, causing the black haired man to raise an eyebrow at her sudden mood swings. "Gosh! We were sitting out there for what, fifteen minutes? You had plenty of time to tell me!" Just as quickly as had with Loki, the brown haired girl turns to her father. "And you! Why didn't you just not argue with me? Everything would have been so much easier if you had!"

"Hey," Tony says, raising a finger at her in warning. "Watch your mouth. Remember, I'm still your dad, even when you feel like ripping my guts out." Toni makes an exasperated arm movement and the genius raises an eyebrow, snagging her hand from midair. "What happened to the burns?" he asks, turning the hand over in his own. "Those were nothing less than second degree. Where'd they go?"

Loki lifts a finger, causing the bags to rise higher behind him. "That would be me," he responds. "I used a healing spell on her, as I have been doing for the past few weeks."

"So you're the one who fixed her when Steve hit her," he deducts, releasing the squirming girl. "I knew something was up when her jaw wasn't completely black and blue from the hit. I just thought she got tougher."

Toni scoffs and folds her arms over her chest, leaning her weight against the wall behind her. "Even I know that's impossible," she retorts, unfolding her arms to poke one of Loki's floating bags. "Now, since we're pretty much all buddies here, what's up with Loki's bags?"

"We're moving him into his own room," the brown haired man explains, swinging open the door to the room directly across from hers. "The sheets have been changed since Steve's slept in it just so you know. Oh, and don't bother unpacking, we're going back to New York in a day or two."

"Cause you're tired of making the trip," she says, following Loki into his room as he lets the bags go from their charm. The plastics crinkle as they fall into a pile on the closet floor, just as they were in Toni's room. "We heard. Steve told us the day before yesterday."

"Wait," Tony says, holding up a hand in confusion again. "You mean to tell me Steve and Bruce knew about this setup? And they didn't tell me?"

"Bruce said he was ok," Toni chimes. "Steve just went with it because Bruce did, then he saw that Loki really did change and know I'd say they're ok."

"Bruce is my science buddy," the brown haired man says, ignoring his daughter's statement. He turns on a heel and slinks out the door. "Night, guys," he says before grumbling something about telling each other everything.

Toni chuckles at her father's behavior and turns to her raven-haired friend. "Well, Loki-babe," she starts, stretching her arms over her head. "That went about as well as anyone could have imagined." She lets her arms drop noisily and sighs. "I don't know about you, but I'm exhausted, physically and emotionally. I think I'm gonna hit the hay."

"Go right on," Loki says, examining the white decorated room. "I think I may be going to sleep as well." He turns back to Toni and is surprised beyond belief when her arms wrap themselves around his back. No one but his mother would hug him like this, with so much emotion that can be spoken without words. After a moment, the shock wears off and he returns the gesture, resting his cheek on the top of her head as his arms slip around her back.

"I'm glad you get to stay," she mutters into his chest.

"As am I," he says back softly, tightening his grip slightly.

A moment passes and the two break from their embrace. Toni smiles happily at Loki as she starts for the door. "Nighty, Lokikins."

"Good night, Toni," the black haired man replies, watching as the last of her figure disappears into the darkened hallway. With a tired sigh, the man snaps his fingers and the door shuts, leaving him alone in the silence. He trudges to bed and flops down face first, not worried about eloquence at the moment. Right now, all that matters is the fact he has something other than the floor to sleep on. The soft fibers of the fresh smelling bedding put a smile on his face as he crawls under the blankets, the warmth of sleep pulling him under not long after.

Toni yawns and lies on her back, staring blankly at the ceiling as she lets the last hour and a half sink in. It's not even three in the morning and she's already been worn down as if the episode lasted an entire week. A sigh falls from her lips as she closes her eyes, practically begging for sleep. Part of her hopes it's all a really weird dream and that when she wakes up Loki will still be asleep on her floor. The other part hopes it's really, relieved about the fact she'll be able to walk with Loki freely, not worrying about being caught and Loki being sent back to the Chitauri.

Unable to fall asleep, Toni rolls on her side and peers over the edge of the bed, seeing nothing but empty sheets and darkness glaring back at her. Another sigh. Maybe it's for the best that he's been caught. Now they won't always have to be on edge or constantly worrying about where her dad is every second of the day. He can simply walk in and say high without plans on calling Nick and turning her friend in. No more lying, no more sneaking food, no more hiding the fact that she bought men's clothes in bulk for no apparent reason. Just a simple life without secrets.

"Loki's little pet," a gravely voice says from the other side of the bed. "Having trouble sleeping are we? Albeit I don't see why, your father has agreed to shelter the runt hasn't he?"

Before the sentence could even register on any scale in her brain, Toni is off the bed, standing on the complete opposite side of room, body tense in a defensive fight posture. Appearing before her is a man standing at a frightening seven feet tall, a good near foot taller than Loki. His eyes shine a cold blue, wrinkled skin a pale purpling color. The armor he wears twists in curls like dark horns on his shoulders, the rest pleated in layers made to represent scales. The air drops ten degrees as she stares at the man as rumbling laughter pours from his lips. "Peace, mortal," he starts, taking a step from the wall he stands against. "I'm merely here to negotiate a peace treaty of sorts."

"Who the hell are you?" the girl barks, trying to hide the apprehension in her voice. "And how the fuck did you get in here without me knowing?"

"As I told my pet earlier in the week," he starts calmly. "I am a projection of my being. Meaning," he starts forward, walking through the bed and reappears almost directly in front of her. The image flickers a few times before solidifying, revealing the widened smirk on the man's face. "I can not be detected by technology or other beings unless I will it."

Toni steps back and bumps into the window seat behind her, leaving only five feet between her and the strange man in front of her. "That still doesn't tell me who the fuck you are," she states, growing more and more worried as time goes on. Not only does she not have her gloves because her dad fried them, but she also doesn't have Loki with her. If he were here, maybe she would stand a chance if it came to a fight. Despite the deep-set fear, her voice stays strong and her body stays tensed. "And who the hell is this pet you keep referring to? There are no dogs here."

The man chuckles again, causing an eerie coldness to shoot through her body. "With the low standards of language you use, I'd say I'm looking at the dog," he states, earning a lethal glare from Toni. "But alas, you are not the one I want. I am looking for my former play toy, Loki."

Anger flashes through Toni, easily replacing the former fear in her posture. "Like hell," she snaps, straightening to her full height, still barely reaching the chest of the image. "Loki isn't anyone's pet, you purple faced bastard. Now I'll ask you one more time before I blast your ass to high hell. Who the FUCK are you?"

The man roars with laughter, the hoarse sound sparking more fear in her core. "You are a truly amusing one," he says loudly, making Toni wary at the fact that no one had heard him yet. "I've always wondered why the runt chose you as a host, but now I see. Your false sense of boldness and strength makes you amusing to watch. And your "blasting me to high hell" would only succeed in damaging your already unstable shelter. As I have said before, girl, I am only an image. You can not hurt me." He takes three more steps forward and is barely a foot away from Toni, saving no room for escape. The man lifts a hand and runs a black fingernail across her cheek, leaving a burning sensation in its wake. "But I can touch you."

Toni jerks her head away and presses herself as close to the window seat as possible, earning another half inch of space between her and him. "W-who are you?" she asks, voice barely above a whisper as she curses the stutter in her voice. "And what do you want with Loki?"

The large being steps back, making the gap an almost decent three feet wide, much to Toni's immense relief. "I am surprised my pet has not spoken of me, I did take the precious time to visit him after all." The smirk falters. "I am Thanos, ruler of the Chitauri. I'm sure he has told you about his predicament by now, I'm just here to reinforce it." The menacing smirk fades completely from his face, leaving only a twice as threatening glare. "Loki is to be returned to me. Be it by force or by willingness of the runt. Either way, I will have my pet back. If you attempt, and I do mean attempt, to resist, I will have show no mercy in your death and the deaths of your family."

Toni's legs feel weak under her, fighting themselves in the battle to remain strong. The threat rings loud and clear in her head, drowning out any other rational thoughts. He wants Loki, that's all. "Never," she growls, baring her teeth in hopes of being scary. "Loki's not going anywhere with you, and if my death proves that fact then so be it! You're not getting anywhere NEAR my brother."

Thanos laughs again, making Toni leap nearly a foot in the air. "Such a short period of time and you've already claimed him as family? You mortals are such petty creatures, finding sentiment in such small words. See if he'll claim you as his sister when it comes to deciding on who's to die." The titan turns and walks away, back through the bed to the more shadowed parts of the room. "I will return, Loki-pet. That is a promise. I will make the offer once more and then I will retrieve him by force." He pauses just before the corner to turn and look at her over his shoulder. "See if your puny Avengers can defeat us then."

The man turns back and disappears, leaving Toni completely alone in the almost complete darkness. Air rushes back into her lungs as she releases a fearful breath she didn't know she was holding, legs finally feeling free to tremble and buckle. She slowly lowers herself onto the seat behind her, pressing her back against the cool glass as she pulls her legs to her chest. The small beam of light that trails in through the window is the only place that feels safe in the room; everything else is foreign and evil.

A trembling sigh passes her lips, barely heard as she rests her forehead on her knees. She's never felt so weak before, so totally and completely incapable of taking care of herself. Even when she was young, it took way more than words to frighten her this badly. A warm spot forms on the knee of her pants, making her lift her head in confusion, seeing a small spot of blood on the light blue fabric. Her hand reaches up to her face and she winces.

In the spot where Thanos touched is a thin cut, no doubt formed by his fingernail. The sight of the red makes her entire body shake in fear clutching her legs so hard her knuckles turn white. If he's this strong to make her bleed through an image, how strong is he when he's actually here? She shakes her head to clear the thought, not allowing herself to consider it. Another sigh, a touch more stable than the previous one. She knows she's not getting back to sleep tonight, not at all. Instead, she turns so her back is touching the wall and leans, allowing the back of her head to contact it. There she sits, quietly watching the sunrise before even thinking about feeling safe again.


	10. Chapter 10

**I am sooo! Sorry about not posting until now. Multiple complications have arisen in the past that have prevented me updating sooner. I would go longer and get into the specific thank you's for comments and stuff, but i'm being rushed so thanks to everyone who's commented and favorited. Remember to fav and review. **

"Jarvis," Toni says to the air, surrounded by her 3D holographic "play box" in the lab. She's been up ever since Thanos visited and got sick of sitting around waiting for another attack. The storm brewing overhead only added to her tension as she sat in the window seat. So she decided to head to the lab and play around for a little. It started out as a simple trip to start her glove designs, but ended up designing some new looks for Loki instead. Since her dad found out about her secret guest, she assumes he doesn't have to hide anymore and can walk around freely, meaning he's going to need a disguise.

That only lasted for about three minutes before her now occupied mind wandered away from the task. Now she searches for tools, cars, and whatever else she deems fit for gift ideas for her birthday. Even though it's still a month away. "Tell Dummy to brew some coffee," she instructs as she stifles another yawn. "I'm starting to feel the six thirty sleepies."

A small frown pulls her lips down as she looks over a lime green punch buggie she thought she would like. She now sees the error of her ways. With a flick of the wrist, the car color clears and leaves her with the plain silver model. "Ugh, what possessed me to do that?" Before she has another brilliant color idea, Toni grabs the car from the air and balls it up and tosses it to the trashcan beside her. "No more creative color ideas."

All four screens clear when Toni waves an arm and she jumps harshly when Loki appears. Instinct kicks in and she swings, making contact with the god's very sturdy jaw. "SON OF A FUCK!" she swears, hopping in small circles while clutching her fist. "Jeez! It feels like I punched a wall."

Loki, unphased by the punch or the jumping, chuckles quietly. "I must admit," he says around a smile. "That was a solid blow. Had I been mortal, I'm sure it would have broken my jaw."

"But instead I ended up with a broken hand," she retorts, hissing in pain as she flexes her fingers. "Damn, Loki. A little warning before you randomly appear in places." She turns her attention to said god and raises an eyebrow. "How did you manage to get in here without setting off any alarms or using the door?"

"I let myself in with my magic," he explains. "I only needed you to open the door for me the first time as to not make a scene if I appeared beside you. That would have alerted your father to the fact that I was there. Is your hand ok?"

Toni waves the hand dismissively as she ponders the excuse then nods a few times. "I'll buy that for now," she says simply, smiling at the scent of fresh coffee. "And I want coffee."

Loki opened his mouth to ask what coffee was, but Toni brushed past him before he even had time to ask what coffee was, leaving him with a slack jaw and a raised finger. He sighs as she disappears around a corner and decides to follow, seeing nothing better to do at the moment. As he passes over the square where Toni stood, the screens pop up again and he jumps. Confusion pulls his brows up as he watches a few images float around in midair. "Is this magic?" he inquires aloud.

"Not magic," Toni responds, making Loki jump again as she sips on her heavily creamed coffee. "Technology. In a way, I guess it's like our version of magic, minus the whole spell process." She nods and lifts her cup slightly at the wall of holographic screens. "Raise your hand and lightly touch the blue circle, it'll make something cool happen."

The black haired man raised his brow in confusion but looks for the blue circle as instructed. Once he spots it, he slowly raises his arm and taps it lightly. An image of an extremely pale woman with pure black eyes that stream with blood fills the entirety of the space around him, making him jump and yelp in fright. He jumps out of the square and stumbles back into a vacant worktable. Toni nearly spills her coffee as she clutches her stomach and roars with laughter, doubling over as her abs start to ache. "That was amazing!" she cries with joy as Loki shoots daggers at her head. "Oh man! Whoo! Your face was priceless!"

"That was not necessary," the man scolds as he straightens himself. "What was the point of that anyway?"

The brown haired girl shrugs and steps into the wall of screens, waving an arm to disband the images. "For the reactions," she says bluntly as she reigns in her laughter. "You should have seen Pepper's! She ran upstairs crying! It was priceless!"

"You are a cruel soul," Loki says, stepping into the square with Toni as she opens something else. "What are you doing now?"

"Checking my email," she said, turning to another screen while one loads. She clicks another icon and Youtube pops up, along with a list of recently searched songs. The girl sips her coffee while selecting a song and turns back to the other screen. Her inbox pops up and she flinches at the number of unread messages that accumulated over the many years of neglect. "Damn," she mutters as she runs a hand over all of them. The messages turn blue and she sweeps them away, leaving her with a newly cleaned inbox. "There we go," she says aloud, nodding her head to the rhythm of the song. "It was all junk anyway."

She sips her coffee again and her face lights up with a new idea. She whips around to face Loki with a huge smile on her face. "I need you to hold really still," she instructs.

Again, Loki's eyebrows rise in confusion. "Why?" he asks skeptically.

"Just do it," she nearly whines, earning another confused look from Loki. In the end, he does as told and Toni's grin widens. She turns her attention to the air. "Jarvis!" she calls. "I need a fully body interactive scan of Loki," she orders.

"Right away ma'am," the AI says, sending a beam of blue light from the scanner above.

Loki tenses and his eyes move with the scanner. "Toni, what are you doing?" he says, narrowing his eyes against the thin blue lines that now cover him.

"Scan complete," Jarvis says, making the grin around Toni's coffee mug grow. "Is there anything else I can do for you?"

Toni nods as she sets the cup aside, using her free hand to grab and lift the life-size Loki replica over the real Loki's head. "Bring up Paint and open the Internet. I want one tab that has to do with Halloween costumes, one tab that has to do with cosplay, and bring my music back up. I didn't mean to shut that."

"Why so many tabs?" Loki asks as Toni moves the hologram to the middle of the square. He's surprised about how life like the scan looks. In fact, he could almost say it looked like it was breathing as he did.

"You'll see," Toni says as the designated tabs open around them. She turns to the Paint screen behind her and pulls up the color wheel, selecting the brightest yellow she could find. "Let's see how you look blond…" she mutters with a smirk. She grabs a small portion of the color and moves it to his hair, double tapping it to make the color stay. Needless to say, Toni nearly fell over with roaring laughter while Loki only looked horrified at the results.

"What in Odin's name have you done to me?" he asks over Toni's mirth. "I look awful! Change it back!"

"Nah," the brown haired girl says as she finally manages to halfway contain herself. "I like it. Makes you look less intimidating and stuff." As the music restarts, Toni nods her head and turns to the first page full of Halloween costumes. "Hm…" she ponders, scrolling through the list of outfits. "Ah!" Her hand moves and selects a cheesy vampire costume, complete with cape and high collar, and she sets it on the Loki model. This time Toni does fall on the ground in laughter.

"You're making me look ridiculous!" Loki protests as he circles his double. "Take it off!"

"Jarvis!" Toni calls through her laughter. "Save a copy of this to my files. Label it: Loki the vampire fail."

"Image saved," Jarvis says after a moment, unable to see the heated glares Loki shoots at Toni. "Anything else?"

Toni pushes herself to her feet and waves the image clear, leaving a normal looking Loki image standing before them. "Not yet," she says, turning back to the paint colors. "But be ready, I may wanna save another images."

"You will do no such thing," Loki interrupts, earning a confused look from Toni. "You have already made a mockery of my name with your petty nicknames and now you feel the need to do the same with my image? I do not believe I can stand for that."

"Lighten up Lokikins," the brown haired girl said with her hands raised in a surrender notion. "It's just a joke. It's not like I'm actually going around bleaching your hair or changing all your clothes to some cheesy vampire garb." She raises an eyebrow and turns back to the image, dismissing it into nothing with a wave of the hand. "Jeez, who pissed in your bitch flakes this morning?"

The god presses his eyes closed and listens to the small whooshes of air that come with the screens being cleared, fingers rubbing his now throbbing temples. He doesn't even want to go into the subject of that last question. "My apologies," he says in a gentler tone this time. "I did not sleep well last night. Although the bed was wonderful to sleep on, I woke up not long after longing for the floor again. I have not slept since."

Toni snorted in sick amusement as she moved back to the table to snag her coffee, eyes flicking up to the curious gaze in Loki's eyes. "At least you got sleep," she explains around a sip, frowning deeply at the lukewarm brew. "Once Dad woke me up with the explosions and shit, I couldn't get back to sleep." She expertly excludes the visit from Thanos, having almost forgotten it until now. A new wave of tension floods through her at the memory and she finds herself glancing at the corner in the back.

Loki notes the action but decides to leave it for another time, seeing how her body tensed almost immediately after the sentence hit the air. The last thing he wants to do is keep her on edge for too long. He raises his arms over head in a deep stretch. "I'd say," he starts as Toni replaces the mug on the tabletop. "A nap is in order, for both of us." He lowers his arms and extends a hand to the brown haired girl, making her raise an eyebrow once again. "Come, the couch awaits."

Toni stares at the hand for a moment before smirking and lightly pushing the hand away. "I may be stupid," she starts jokingly as she pushes herself into a normal standing position. "But I can walk to the living room by myself." She smothers a yawn and starts for the stairs.

"That is questionable," Loki teases as he trails behind his host. He smirks slightly as Toni turns to stick out her tongue at him. They reach the living room and Toni leaps onto the couch, snatching up the only blanket in the area and curling her body around it.

"I got dibs on the blanket!" she declares as she unfolds it and wraps it around herself, making sure to retighten her hold in case Loki attempted to steal it. "Get your own!"

"I was planning on it," the black haired man responds, snapping his fingers so that a plain, white blanket appears in his hands. "I have my own."

"Huh," Toni says as she watches Loki take a seat on the opposite side of the couch and drape the blanket over his legs. "I never would have thought you would have chosen white as your favorite color, seeing as you have a long green cape strapped to your back at almost all times. Well, when you're in your full Asgardian stuff anyway. Plus all the green in your closet and your green eyes… Then again, with all that green stuff you may have gotten tired of it… Or you just hate colors in general…"

Loki places a finger on his lips to shush her before she could go any farther. "I think it is time for you to sleep," he says. "You are mad with exhaustion."

Toni raises an eyebrow and snorts in amusement, turning on her side while pulling the blanket higher, her arms folding under her head as a makeshift pillow. "You should know better by now Loki-babe," she responds as her eyes start to flutter shut against her strong opposition to the action. "I'm naturally mad, with or without exhaustion."

The black haired man nods and returns the snort. "My apologies," he says with a tired smirk. "How it managed to slip away from my memory is a mystery." Too tired to respond, Toni merely grunts in response. Loki glances over at her and tugs the blanket a little higher on her shoulders. "Sleep," he says softly. "You need it." Another soft grumbles before silence. Loki takes it as a sign that she's fallen asleep and shifts to get himself more comfortable. A few minutes later, he too falls into the warm arms of sleep.

A bright light turns the inside of Loki's eyelids completely white for an instant before returning to darkness, making him jerk awake from surprise. A round of booming thunder follows not long after. "Wow," he hears Toni say, turning his head to see her clutching a small, black rectangle to her chest. "That was…unexpected…."

"What happened?" the god asked, trying to steady his racing heart. "And why are you sitting in the dark?" he says glancing around the darkened room, the only source of light coming from the occasional lightning flash outside and the rectangle she finally released.

Toni shrugs and taps the screen of the electric rectangle. "Power's out," she responds evenly. "Been like this for about an hour now, but I didn't wanna wake you to let you know. So I went to my room, grabbed my Ipad, and ran back in here. Quite literally I might add. After that, I went on Youtube and started to listen to _Creepypastas_. Lemme tell ya, not one of my best ideas. I've been jumpy as shit ever since."

"First of all," Loki starts, holding up a finger in confusion. "I do not think that bodily waste can jump," he says, earning an annoyed eye roll from Toni. "Second, what makes these pastas so scary? I have eaten plenty of pasta during my past travels across Midgard and never once was I frightened by it."

This earns a laugh from the brown haired girl, causing her to set aside her Ipad to avoid dropping it in her fit. Once again, Loki's brows rise in confusion. "Oh, Loki, Loki, Loki," she says, finally reigning in her fit after a moment. "Not creepy pasta as in pasta that will murder your entire family. I mean _Creepypasta_, one word, as in _Jeff the Killer_ and _Slenderman_ and whatnot."

"A killer named Jeff would not seem very threatening," the black haired man says matter-of-factly. "In fact, I think a name like that would make me want to laugh more than make me want to run away."

Toni smirks and lifts her rectangle so that it covers her lips, the soft glow that lights up the bottom half of her face making the face seem hostile. "Wanna bet?" she says before lowering the square and tapping. A few seconds later, she returns the Ipad so that she's clutching it to her chest. "Ready to see the true face of terror?" she questions, voice making Loki's eyebrows rise again.

Before he has time to respond, she flips the screen and blinds him with the sudden surge of light, causing him to raise his arms over his face. Once his eyes adjust, he comes face to screen with a face not even he could comprehend. The face of the supposed Jeff man is completely pale, even paler than his own, and has a strange texture to it. The eyes are completely rimmed in black with a blood red smile carved nearly to his eyes.

"What is that!?" Loki asks, unknowingly pressing himself deeper into the corner of the couch, trying to avoid the piercing gaze staring at him from the screen.

Toni, still smirking at his reaction, turns the screen back to her and exits from the picture, leaving her with the Youtube of another _Pasta_ she was listening to. "And you said Jeff wouldn't be scary," she says in a teasing voice. "Ha!"

"What the hell would possess someone to look like that?" he questions, now interested in the story. "Honestly, I don't think I could bring myself to look like, even if I tried my hardest."

That seemed to spark Toni's attention, making another one of her mildly disturbing grins to spread on her lips. "Are you sure you wanna go down this path," she says. "Once you dive into the world of _Creepypasta, _you can't escape. It will grab hold of your soul and won't release you until you are a shell of what you once were. You can't just half commit. You have to be prepared to enter a world that will make you look at everything with a questioning gaze and a mind that can handle this world of madness and murder." She leans in a bit closer to Loki, unbroken grin still on her lips. "I'll ask you one more time. Are you sure you wanna go down this path?"

Loki, who was slightly intrigued by the speech, nods once in confirmation. "I am sure," he says.

"The enter, my child," the girl says, motioning for him to slide closer, eyes falling to the screen as she taps on the screen. "The dark side awaits."

Loki glances around the room once again, listening to the sound of the heavy rain as it beats down against the roof of the house. He doesn't know how or when it happened, but somewhere between _Laughing Jack_ and _The Rake,_ a certain feeling of nervousness overcame him, making him glance about the room every so often during the video binge. The way the authors could twist the flow of the words into the grotesque images he pictured left him wondering about the sanity of the mortal race entirely. The physical images that accompanied the story only added to his uncomfort, burning the dark representations into his mind.

Now he stands just outside the bathroom door waiting as Toni relieves herself from what she claimed to be a sudden bladder attack. Instead of listening to the on goings inside, he focuses on the rain outside. A small, white ball of light floats near his shoulders, illuminating the entire hallway and parts of the living room. His eyes keep shifting from side to side, darting to stare at anything that shifted even half a centimeter, including his own shadow on occasions. Growing tired of waiting, and being frightened by his own shadow every ten seconds, he reached behind him and raps lightly on the door.

"What is so important in there that makes you take so much time to relieve yourself?" he asks, voice dripping with a mild annoyance. "Hurry up and finish."

A moment of silence passes before the bathroom door swings open, causing Loki to stumble backwards in unexpectance and be caught by a pair of small hands. "Whoa there, Frosty," Toni says, pushing him lightly so that he can stand upright again. "I know you love me and all, but at least let me get out of the bathroom before you attack me."

The god scoffs as he straightens himself, turning to look down at the smirking brown haired girl behind him. "I did not attack you," he clarifies. "And I do not love you. I merely lost my footing when the door opened. And what on Asgard took you so long?"

Toni places a hand on her chest and allows her lips to part in false sadness. "Hurtful," she whines. "I thought we had something special going on Loki-babe." Another scoff from Loki, accompanied by an eye roll as Toni brushes past him toward the living room. "And if you must know…I…got lost…"

Loki pauses mid-step to stare at his host in disbelief. "Come again," he says, making Toni's lips purse in embarrassment as she too pauses in her stride. "Did you just say…you got lost…in your bathroom?"

Pursing her lips tighter, Toni turns to face him, eyes trained on the ground between her feet. "Yes I did…" she responds quietly. "I got lost in my bathroom…"

A moment of silence passes between the two in the hallway, one looking down while the other burns holes in the top of her head. Loki, unable to contain his mirth any longer, explodes into childish laughter, doubling over as he clutches his sides. The light that floated nearby faltered before fading completely, being disbanded automatically by Loki's lack of focus. Unaware of the sudden darkness, the god lifts his head slightly to look at Toni's outline with blurry eyes. "How did you manage to do that?" he laughs, words barely intelligible as his body rocks with unbridled merriment. "The bathroom is barely eight feet at most!"

"It's dark!" Toni explains, taking a small step toward the laughing god, another wave of tension flowing through her once the light faded. Lesson learned: don't mix alien paranoia with _Paranormal Activity_ paranoia then throw in a Thanos visit and a major _Creepypasta_ binge. It does things to you. "I couldn't see anything and everything that I could see looked the same! I'm lucky you talked, otherwise I'm sure I would still be in there!"

After another moment passes, Loki finally reigns in his amusement and snaps his fingers, causing another ball of light to form by his shoulder. Toni visibly relaxes. "And again, I find myself questioning my safety that is supposedly in your hands," he teases as Toni rolls her eyes again.

She steps forward and snags his sleeve, tugging him back in the living room much like a small child would. "Hey, no one told you that you had to stay," she responds with a nonchalant shrug of the shoulders. "If you feel unsafe, freaked out, or other wise insulted at any point, you know where the door is…" She releases her grip when they enter the living room and goes back to the couch, flopping down and reclaiming her Ipad from its spot. "Come Loki! We have thirty more videos to watch before we eat!"

"Um…" the god says hesitantly as he takes his spot beside her. "I was thinking… How about something more…. not mentally scarring."

Toni's brow rises in a mild smugness, a similar smirk tugging her lips up as she turns to look at him. "Did I just hear correctly?" she asks rhetorically. "Did Loki, the same person…god…alien…thing that destroyed my giant stuffed turkey without batting an eye…say that he doesn't want to watch anymore videos?"

Loki diverts his eyes from the smirk in slight embarrassment. "I am simply looking out for your mental health," he lies smoothly. "After all, your anxiety medicine can only help so much."

The brown haired girl snorts in amusement and turns back to her screen. "You can't fool me, assbutt," she replies, tapping a new title into the search bar. "I know you're scared. And it's fine. We all get scared every once in a while."

"You got that right," Tony says from behind the couch. "A little fear every once in a while is a good thing. Makes you feel alive."

Toni, who somehow managed to make it completely across the room, clutches her chest and pants lightly. Relief washes over her as the realization of who it is sets in, making ever muscle in her body relax. "What the…world, Dad?" she asks, walking back toward the couch. "What are you doing here? You're supposed to be making sure the Tower is ready for us when we go back."

"Got done early," the oldest Stark says with a shrug. "Plus it keeps the story moving along."

"Pardon?" Loki asks, turning slightly with a raised eyebrow.

Tony waves a hand dismissively and shakes his head. "Never mind. Anyway, what are you two nitwits doing still sitting around in the dark? Jarvis told me about the outage like eight hours ago. Shouldn't you have gone and turned it back on by now."

"First of all," Toni says, returning to her spot on the couch. She places a kiss on her father's cheek before flopping back down and continuing. "It's dark where the generators are. Like, really dark. I've seen too many episodes of _Supernatural_ to know that as soon as I flip the switch and the light comes on, I'm gonna be standing face to face with some demon or something! I wasn't gonna take that chance! I refuse to be that chick from the first five minutes!"

Tony rolls his eyes at his daughter's imagination before catching Loki doing the same thing. "I think we need to up your dosage of those meds," he comments, turning his flashlight toward the stairs. "Either that or put you on some sort of anti-insanity thing…"

"I am not insane!" the teen cries in protest, bouncing to her knees to watch him disappear. "I'm careful!"

"I must agree with your father," Loki says. "Insanity seems like the most viable answer. How else would you explain your unnatural obsession with the paranormal when you know you have an anxiety issue?"

Toni's mouth falls open to respond just as the light come on, making both people in the living room flinch against the sudden surge of brightness. "Good evening, Ms. Stark," Jarvis says as Toni blinks away the white circles in her vision. "Mr. Loki."

"Good evening, Sir Jarvis," Loki says as he manages to regain his sight, watching as Tony walks back up. "Glad to hear you are still functioning properly."

"As am I," the AI responds. "Is there anything I can do?"

"Not right now, J," the Starks reply simultaneously, earning a mildly confused glare from one another.

"We're good," Toni says, blinking away the last of the dots from her vision. "I just wanna take a shower and eat dinner in no particular order."

"Speaking of order," Tony says, flopping down in Toni's spot on the couch. "I would say order something, but with the storm outside…."

Toni makes a thoughtful face as her eyes turn to a spot on the floor. "Well then," she says, walking over and flopping between the men. "What do you want me to do about it?"

"You're a girl," Tony says, nudging her teasingly with his elbow. "Go cook something… You're good at that right?"

The younger Stark snorts loudly and nudges him back. "Yeah right," she says around a smirk. "I burnt oatmeal one time. Cooking for me is not an option."

"How do you burn oatmeal?" Tony questions at the same time Loki comments on the excellent breakfast she made him that one time. "Anyway, Rudolph vouches for you. Go make something."

"No," the brown haired girl says again, folding her arms stubbornly across her chest. "I refuse."

"Refusal isn't an option," the older man says, lifting a foot to wave in her face. "Go cook."

"Ew!" Toni complains, shoving the foot out of the way. "That's disgusting! Move your nasty, crusty, stinky feet away from my face!"

"My feet aren't stinky," the father says with a smile, continuing to prod despite his daughter's protests. "And they're not moving till you cook!"

"Dad stop!" she squeals as she leans backwards to avoid the feet. "Fine! Two can play this game!" She leans against Loki and lifts her own feet, battling her father's in a fight for dominance.

Loki watches in utter bemusement at the battle wages, unsure of whether to continue watching or let the two have their family moment alone. He finds himself unable to tear his gaze away from the strange behavior of the two as they laugh and kick at each other in good humor, the occasional lighthearted insult being thrown in the mix. He cannot remember in his childhood when he and Odin had this sort of bonding moment, or if they even had one at all for that matter. Odin had always been so busy in meetings and such all the time that Loki only remembers seeing him during mealtimes.

A dull thud pulls the god from any further thinking as he jerks back to reality, again baffled at the scene that occurred without his notice. The older Stark now lies on the floor, almost completely under the coffee table, as his daughter laughs loudly above him. "HA!" she cries, pushing herself into a sitting position with a Cheshire cat grin on her face. "Now you have to cook dinner, Daddy. Those were the rules."

"When did we establish rules?" Tony asks, mimicking his daughter's position while rubbing a spot on his back. "And how did you manage to overpower me?"

"Leg power!" came the reply as the strange girl rocks back to lift her legs, flailing them a few times before she sets them on the floor once again. "Anyhow, get cooking, Gramps. I want food!"

Tony grumbles obscenities under his breath as he pushes himself to his feet. "I'm not that old," he retorts, turning in the direction of the kitchen. "And don't expect anything more complicated than mac'n'cheese. I'm good, but I'm not that good."

Once again, an amused snort is pulled from the younger Stark as she pulls the black rectangle from under her rear. "Who told you that lie?" she asks, sliding over to reclaim her corner and give Loki some space to shift. "You're not good at cooking, Dad, and whoever told you that needs to be slapped…in the face…with a brick…. repeatedly…"

Loki's brow rises again at the girl. "Again," he starts. "You are a very violent soul aren't you?"

This time it's the older Stark who snorts, the sound being heard of the water hitting the sink in the kitchen. "And you're just figuring this out?" he asks sarcastically. "And how long have you been here?"

"Dad?" Toni calls, tapping away on the screen. "Who all is at the tower? I wanna get a head count before I let Loki walk in full body."

"Sorry to burst your bubble, kiddo, but he can't," he replies, glancing out the windows as a bright flash of lightning ignites the sky outside. "Natasha and Clint are there. Fury's having the whole team stay in one place that they can all remember, that place obviously being Stark Tower. So…. yeah."

A small frown tugs Toni's lips down as she darkens the screen and sets it aside. "I see," she responds quietly. "Damn…just when we got Dad on our side…."

"Uh…correction," Tony says, earning confused looks from both his daughter and her guest. "I never said I was on your side, I just said he could stay." Toni's eyes widen and her father holds up a hand. "I'm not gonna snitch," he says, making Toni relax and sink into the couch. "Just as long as he doesn't try anything funny."

Toni nods and pushes herself to her feet, yawning and stretching as she does. "He won't," she assures, walking to the kitchen with her father. "If he does, then I'll be the one fixing it."

"See, that's the problem," Tony says, dropping his voice to a whisper as he turns his back to the god in the living room. "He's dangerous. Don't bother denying it because we both know that would be a lie." Toni's jaw closes as Tony continues. "I don't want you put in a preventable life or death situation. We don't know the full extent of his powers. He could be cursing us now and we don't even know it!"

"Ok, first of all," Toni says, tone similarly quiet but filled with a slightly enraged venom. "Loki doesn't do curses, he does spells. Secondly, if you're so hell bent on the false assumption that he's still evil and all this junk, why did you agree to let him stay?"

Tony uses the wooden spoon he brandishes to stir the boiling macaroni noodles in the pot. "I didn't," he clarifies, earning a confused look from his daughter. "Pepper did. Why she did, I don't know. All I know is that she said if you busy with Loki we can be busy with each other without having to wonder if you're going to blow anything up."

"I haven't done that in…. about a year," she defends feebly. "And ew! I don't even want to begin wondering what type of busy you mean." Tony chuckles as the teen retrains her emotions into a blank stare into the boiling water. "Anyway, he is dangerous, I get that. But so far, all the magic he's done I making things appear, healing my injuries and fixing the Carson's house that day I babysat."

"What do you mean fixing the Carson's house?" the father singles out, holding up a finger to prevent any further speech. "What happened?"

Toni rolls her eyes and shakes her head. "Long story. Anyhow, Loki's been nothing but helpful since he's gotten here. Albeit he does have his moments where I just want to introduce his face to a brick…"

"When do you not want to hit someone in the face with a brick?" Tony asks, plucking a noodle from the spoon to test.

"Exactly!" Toni nearly cries, wincing at her sudden tone change before dropping it again. "Dad, Loki's fine. He's not going to do anything murder-y while he's here. I promise."

The two Starks share a moment of silence, both staring at the boiling pot as if it held all the answers to the current situation within the bubbles. After a while, the older one sighs deeply and places a hand on his daughter's shoulder. "Don't make promises you can't keep, Kiddo," he says, giving her shoulder a small squeeze before returning to their dinner. "Move," Tony says, voice returning to its normal volume. "The pot's hot."

Toni, attempting to lighten the situation, releases a small chuckle, turning to walk back to the living room. "Hot pot," she comments childishly. "That rhymes." Unsurprisingly, Toni walks in on Loki with his face buried in _Eldest_, numbers of pages until he finishes it diminishing quickly as he flips the page. "Hey," she says with a small smile, plopping down beside him.

Loki sits motionless for a few seconds before lifting his head. "Your rectangle beeped," he says, earning a raised brow from Toni. He nods his head in the direction of the discarded Ipad. "Your rectangle," he repeats. "It beeped."

"Oh!" she says, rocking back slightly in realization. She reaches over and plucks her Ipad from beside Loki and unlocks it, musing over all the options of what it can be before she selects the email app. "It's from Clint," she says, selecting the only unread message in her newly cleaned inbox. "Hey, Short Stack," she reads aloud, frowning at the nickname that will never leave. "I heard you're coming back to the Tower tomorrow, so be prepared to have your…butt…handed to you during our sparring match when you get here. Also, Natasha says hi and Thor wants you to bring more pop tarts. You're out over here. See you whenever, Clint."

Toni snorts and locks the screen, setting it aside without responding. "Cocky bastard," she jokes tiredly. "Daddy!" she whines. "When's dinner?"

"Now if you're not too lazy," Tony says, appearing from the kitchen with a plate in his hand. "Go get it."

"But I am lazy!" she continues to whine. "Can you get it for me?"

"You kicked me off the couch," the brown haired man says, setting his plate on his lap when he sits. "You can get your own plate."

Toni groans in annoyance but pushes herself up anyway. "Whatever…" She turns to Loki with a tired expression. "Want me to get your plate too?"

Loki lifts his head from the book again, a mildly sheepish smile on his face. "Would you please?" he asks. "The book has just reached its climax…"

The brown haired girl nods and turns back to the kitchen as her father frowns. "So you're another one who sits around and reads all day?" he questions. "And here I thought Toni was the only one. Well, Steve does too, but he can barely use an Ipod without getting frustrated…"

"The series is very entertaining," the god comments, deciding to ponder the meaning of Ipod later. "There are similar tales on Asgard, but none as captivating as this."

"Captivating, eh?" Tony jokes around a mouthful of macaroni. "Usually people use the word when describing a woman. The fact that you use it to describe a book just proves that you're a virgin."

"Au contraire, Daddy," Toni says, returning with two bowls of the cheesy noodles. "Loki here is a father…and a mother for that matter."

Tony nearly chokes on his food when the words hit the air, forcing him into a coughing fit as the noodles slide down his throat. "What!?" he asks once he manages to clear his windpipe. "A mother!? You have got to be kidding me!"

"I kid you not!" Toni declares as Loki chuckles behind her. "Loki turned himself into a mare to get with the stallion to win a bet. Needless to say he won." She pauses to take a bite before continuing. "He also is father to a wolf, a snake, Death, and a few more I can't remember right now. But he has more than the one's I read about, though, as he came to Midgard multiple times in multiple forms having multiple one nighters with multiple people." She turns to grin triumphantly at said god. "See, I told you I did my research."

Loki sets his fork in the side of his bowl and claps softly, nodding in agreement with the statement. "I am impressed," he responds. "I must say, I thought you gave up after you found out about Sleipnir." He returns his gaze to his half empty bowl. "And this food is amazing."

Toni rolls her eyes as she listens to Tony laugh in the background. "You have children?" Stark says around his fit. "As in multiple? I feel sorry for you! One kid's a challenge for me!"

"That's because you're irresponsible," his daughter retorts, standing with her empty bowl in hand. "And I need a shower." She places her dishes in the dishwasher and starts down the hallway. "I'm turning in for the night. See you in the morning."

Tony sets his now empty bowl on the counter and follows the girl to her room, catching her arm and spinning her around before she closes the door. He pulls her into a hug and places a kiss on the top of her head. "Night, Kiddo," he says.

"Night, Daddy," she responds, making sure to avoid hitting her face on the arc reactor that glows near her nose. They break from their embrace and after another vocalized good night, Tony turns and walks down the hallway, disappearing down the stairs as the lights darken automatically in the living room. The brown haired girl smothers another yawn and closes her door, stretching her arms over her head as she turns toward the bathroom.

"Thank you," Loki says, perched on the edge of her bed like he had always done before he got his own room. In his hands is the panda he stitched not long ago, red thread still visible along the seam of the arm.

Toni leaps a foot into the air and stares in shock, allowing herself a moment for her mind to catch up to her body before emitting a sigh of immense relief. "Damn it, Loki," she mutters, lifting an arm to rub her eye tiredly. "The next time you wanna come in my room, use the damn door. All this random appearing crap's gonna kill me." Her arm falls and she looks back toward the black haired man in mild confusion. "And thanks for what? Mentally scarring you for life? I'm not sure that's something you should be thanking me about."

Loki shakes his head and sets the bear aside, a strange mixture of emotions in his eyes. "Not that," he says. "I mean thank you for defending me while speaking with your father." Toni's jaw drops in confusion as Loki continues. "I overheard your conversation earlier," the god explains. "You told your father you would be the one taking the blame if I were to turn and kill you all. I do not know why, but thank you."

Toni shrugs and moves to her dresser, opening the second drawer to pull out her favorite pair of blue and green panda print pajama bottoms. "It was nothing," she says, frowning in disgust at the bright orange shirt she accidentally picked up. "Why do I still have this?" With a quick shake of the head, she tosses the shirt away and turns back to the drawer. "As I'm pretty sure I've said, we're friends. It's what we do. We stick up for each other no matter what." A plain white tee shirt is selected to accompany the bottoms and she nudges the drawer shut with her hip as she turns to the bathroom. "Your stuff's still on the floor if you're sleeping in here," the girl informs around a yawn, flicking on the light before entering the bathroom. "If not, I'll see you in the morning."

The door is shut before the trickster has a chance to respond, leaving him with a slack jaw yet again. He mentally notes to have a word with her about allowing people to reply before ending the conversation. With a small sigh he sighs and snaps his fingers, green and black plaid pajama bottoms appear on his body, accompanied by a plain white shirt that resembles Toni's. Seeing how Toni still has yet to return from changing, Loki decides to finish his book.

With another snap of his fingers, the red covered book appears in his hands, already open to his memorized page. His mind has already told him he's sleeping on Toni's floor again, not even pondering the thought. Despite what he would tell anyone, those _Creepypastas_ Toni showed him have taken a small toll on his mental state. Albeit it was mildly his fault for allowing himself to be carried in when he knew he was still shaken about Thanos's sudden appearance, he places a major proportion of the blame on Toni for sparking his interest.

He flips to the final page, scanning the last paragraph before he closes the book, lifting his head and jumping harshly when Toni's face materializes in front of his. "Ha!" the hazel-eyed teen says, leaping out of range of Loki's left hook. "Not too fun when you're the one being scared is it?"

"By the Norns, Toni!" the god says, sending the book back to its place on the shelf before pushing himself to his feet. "You almost had your insides pulled out!"

"I know," the girl says with a halfway smug look on her face. "That's why I jumped back, smart ass!"

"Do not do that again!" he scolds as Toni continues to smirk. "Gods, you are the one who is going to cause me to kill you and break your promise."

The brown haired girl snorts. "Yeah right," she says, padding her way across the floor to toss her dirty clothes into the basket. "You didn't hit me just a second ago."

"That's cause I did not want to hit you," he explains. "I saw it was you before I made contact and stopped myself."

"Pfft," Toni says, dropping her clothes into the basket. "I'll believe that when I-"

Her sentence is cut short when she turns and comes face to knuckles with Loki's fist, barely a hair away from her nose. Loki smirks at her clearly shocked face as she stares at his fist. "You were saying?" the god teases, extending a finger to tap her nose. He lowers his arm and takes a step back.

Toni releases a breath she didn't know she was holding a clutches her chest. "Ok…I'll give you this round, Frost Bite," she responds, earning a chuckle from the black haired man in front of her.

Loki turns and walks over to his spot on the floor, sitting down and pulling the comforter over his legs. "It is getting late," he says, flicking his wrist and killing the lights. "We should go to sleep now."

"I agree," Toni says, carefully picking her way to her bed as she smothers a yawn. Once the girl finds her way into her bed, she pulls the blankets over her shoulders and clutches her panda to her chest. "Nighty, Lokikins," she says over the edge of the bed.

"Good night, Toni," he responds, turning to face under the bed as his eyes fall shut. "Sweet dreams."

Toni rolls her eyes and turns to the other side, already knowing she won't be getting any sleep. Her eyes instantly turn to the darkened corner of the room and stay there, waiting for anything to shift. Despite Loki being there, she still doesn't feel as safe as she would if she had her gloves. Another internal battle wages on inside of her; half wanting to go to sleep, the other too scared to. The scared part begs her to either curl up beside Loki on the floor or in the bed beside her dad.

After a ten-minute debate, Toni slowly slides from the bed and silent pads her way to her door. She pauses with her hand on the door to toss a glance over at Loki, seeing him still sound asleep on the floor, and takes a deep breath. The door is pulled open and she's in the hallway, closing the door behind her before she even has a chance to realize she's out. It's instinct that keeps her moving down the hall, climbing the stairs toward her father's room. Pepper's still in New York on a business trip, so she knows her dad will still be up, struck with the same amount of anxiety she is, if not more.

She reaches the door and pauses again, wondering if she should really be there, standing at her father's door like a helpless child. He's never turned her away before, but she thinks it's only because she's his daughter. She feels herself turning back to walk downstairs when she hears a muffled sound coming from her father's room, making her freeze and tense instantly.

_He's crying, _she thinks as a hole punches itself right through her heart. He's been crying a lot more than usual since the invasion and she feels he's had it worse than her. Toni turns and opens the door behind her, poking her head the small crack she's formed. "Daddy?" she calls quietly into the dark. "Are you awake?"

The sounds of a few more sniffles are heard before Tony turns slightly in bed. "Hey, Kiddo," he says, voice cracking slightly with the held back tears. "What's up?"

Toni pushes the door opens fully and steps in, closing it quietly behind her. "I can't sleep," she explains, tightening her grip on the panda she didn't even know she brought.

"Neither can I," the father responds, pushing himself into a sitting position with a small grunt. Toni can barely make out the arm motioning her forward. "Come here, baby," he says sleepily.

The brown haired girl walks forward then crawls into the middle of her father's king size bed, curling into his waiting arms. Relief washes through her instantly as she presses her nose into Tony's chest, feeling him do the same as she shifts to get comfortable. The older Stark leans his back against the headrest and sighs deeply, tugging the blanket around his daughter before locking his hands behind her back. "Better?" he asks.

"Better," Toni replies, carefully avoiding the arc reactor as she rests her head against his chest. "Night, Daddy."

"Night, kid," the brown haired man responds, resting his chin on her head. His eyelids flutter shut, but sleep does not come easily. Thirty minutes pass before the Stark family finally finds the sweet arms of sleep, finding relief in the other's presence.


	11. Chapter 11

**WE HIT THE DOUBLE DIGITS GUYS! i meant to say that in the last chapter but as i think i said before, i was being hurried off. Anyhow, thank you all so much for reading, reviewing and favoriting! I love you all! A special thanks to Whispers From a Silver Tongue and thegirlpod for being the most frequent reviewers and making me laugh when you do!**

**As always i own nothing but Toni with an I and the idea. Everything else belongs to Stan Lee and the rest of the Marvel crew! **

**Enough with my rants! Onto the chapter! **

The oldest Stark blinks a few times as the sun shines through his window, making a small groan of annoyance fall from his lips. "Jarvis," he whines as he pulls the pillow over his head and turns to face the other direction. "Turn off the sun, it's getting on my nerves."

"I'm afraid I can't do that sir," the AI responds. "But I could darken the room if you'd like."

Tony grumbles a yes into the pillow and he feels the heat leave the room as the curtains are drawn. A yawn rolls from the back of the genius's throat as he rolls over, throwing an arm out in the direction Toni was supposed to be in. His arm meets with soft, empty sheets and, in the same moment, he's sitting straight up in bed. "Toni?" he calls to the bathroom as he strains his ears to hear any sound that may or may not come from the bathroom. No response. "Toni?" Tony calls again, this time throwing off the blankets and pushing himself from his bed. "Where are you?"

Deep down, he knows he shouldn't be panicking. After all, Toni is a big girl now and she can take care of herself in almost any situation. For the situations she can't handle, he knows he'd be the first person she'd turn to. But right now, his father instincts are kicked in full gear, telling him he needs to find his baby girl and help her if necessary. "Toni!" he shouts, halfway down the staircase that leads to his room.

The TV in the living room is turned on and he can smell the faint traces of pop tarts in the air, but still his daughter is nowhere in sight. Neither is Loki, making the slight panic in his chest grow and shift into mild anger. If that lying bastard even makes an attempt to hurt his girl…

"Sir," Jarvis says sternly, finally managing to yank the worrying father from his thoughts. "Please calm down. Your blood pressure is becoming unstable."

"I can't calm down!" Tony shouts, nearly flipping the table over in his fit. "I can't find my daughter or that damned liar she let in!"

"Toni is fine," the housekeeper assures, earning an unseen look of confusion from the genius. "I have been trying to tell you for a while now. Your daughter is safe. She and Mr. Loki are currently in the gym."

A large sigh of relief passes the Avenger's lips and he feels most of the tension leave his body. Tony raises a shaking hand and runs it through his hair as he turns to the stairwell leading to the other levels of the house. "You're a lifesaver, Jar," he comments to the air, beginning his decent to the fully lit lower levels. The genius finally reaches the gym and stops short, bemused at the empty room in front of him. Suddenly, the small form of his daughter is rolling into the middle of the room, a thin object sliding across the ground beside her.

"Come now, Toni," Loki's smooth voice says as the young Stark pushes herself up, the owner of the body revealing himself with a similar thin object in his fist at his side. "It is a simple concept that you cannot seem to grasp, despite the multiple times I have explained it." The god lifts his arm and Tony sees that he holds a long sword, edge dulled considerably in regards to the current, non-life threatening situation. A part of Tony wonders if he even has long swords in their gym. "It is parry, then strike," Loki explains for the eighth time since they've begun the match. "You are attempting to strike before you parry, leaving your entire body open for attack."

Toni frowns in displeasure as she gathers her discarded blade from the floor. "Sorry for being slow," she says. "Not everyone was raised with this crap to lug around," she waves the sword around the air as the last half of the statement hits the air. Her arm, still clutching the sword, falls back to her side as Loki sets up for another strike. "It's harder than it looks, you know."

"This is fairly simple compared to the weaponry I heard your father created in the past," the trickster retorts, earning a mildly annoyed glare from said father. "Now, return to the proper starting position as I have shown you. We will do this once more before I deem you a lost cause."

"Hurtful," the teen says, using the back of her hand to wipe a bead of sweat from her forehead. "I thought I was doing pretty good there for a minute," she comments, returning both hands to the hilt of her weapon.

Tony pushes himself from the doorway and claps his hands twice, making Toni jump harshly as Loki merely lowers his sword. "I have two questions that immediately come to mind at this sight," the genius says, walking over and placing a kiss on the top of his daughter's head. "Three if you count me asking how the world you managed to get out of my room while I was sleeping," he continues, redirecting his full attention to his sweaty offspring.

A nonchalant shrug pulls Toni's shoulders up as she places a hand on her hip. "You're not as light a sleeper you say you are," she replies curtly. "I mean, you looked pretty happy when I left."

"When did you leave?" the father asks, still examining the fine craftsmanship of the blade in her hands.

Toni lifts said blade in the air and uses the dulled tip to repeatedly tap her chin in thought. "I'm gonna go with about two forty-ish," she answers, still tapping the blade against her lower lip. "Cause Loki finally came and told me to turn down the TV in the middle of _Big O _about an hour later." Her arms are lowered again and she turns to said god with her hands on her hips again, the sassy side of Toni being seen in the slight jut of her right side and the weird head rolls she lets accompany the sentence. "Which I do not understand because I know I had the volume low. I was straining to hear it myself."

"Then you must be going deaf," the black haired man responds. "I could understand everything that was occurring on screen before I even considered confronting you."

Tony holds up a hand to end the discussion before his daughter could respond, already seeing more sass being poured into this response than the first one. "Anyway," he begins. "Next question: Where the hell did you get the swords? In fact, are those still relevant in this day and age?"

"To answer your first question," the brown haired girl starts, lifting the blade again to rest it across the back of her shoulders. "Loki made them with magic." Upon seeing the look of disbelief on her father's face, Toni nods a few times in confirmation. "Seriously, he just flicked his wrist and POOF! We have swords." She nods her head from side to side with a small eye roll. "Albeit, I'm not sure if they're relevant nowadays, it's pretty cool to learn how to defend yourself with Asgardian weapons."

"And my final question," Tony says, directing his attention to the green eyed man who's remained silent throughout the conversation. "Where the hell is all my equipment? There was a huge boxing ring right here yesterday!"

Loki nods and folds his arms behind his back, blade held loosely between his fingers. "I will choose to ignore the fact that that was more than three questions," he starts, annoying Tony with the fact that he's beginning to adapt some of Toni's smartassy-ness. "And to answer your question, I would ask you to direct your attention to the ceiling."

Bemusement fills the billionaire's eyes as he hesitantly raises his head, jaw dropping at the sight above him. All of his workout equipment, boxing ring and barbells included, hangs suspended in midair. "What the hell?" Tony breathes, still attempting to wrap his head around the scene. "Why's my stuff hanging in the air?"

A smile pulls the brown haired girl's lips up as she too redirects her attention to the floating ring. "Loki's magic is amazing, isn't it?" she replies simply.

The oldest Stark tears his gaze from the ceiling and locks them on the slightly smirking god behind him. "You're doing this?" he asks. "How?"

Loki's smirk widens slightly as he takes a step forward, leveling with the Starks with youngest in the middle. "As Toni has failed to fully explain," he explains, earning an irate side-glare from said teen. "My magic grants me the abilities to perform many simple and not so simple tasks that would take even the most skilled beings several tries to perfect. The spell used in this task was one of the most basic ones I know, only taking a minor portion of my magic and my unyielding concentration in order to maintain it."

"How did you manage to focus on keeping everything floating while fighting with Toni?" the father questions, suddenly worried about his safety in the room.

Loki sees the worry appear in Tony's eyes and a small round of laughter falls from his lips. "There is no need to fret, Stark," he assures with the small wave of the hand. "No offence but Toni is not the strongest adversary I have come across in my many years of travel, meaning I need only focus on the session for short amounts of time. Although I am obliged to complement her on her stamina and her determination in the matter of learning the art of swordsmanship. If she continues in this direction, I believe she many prove to be a worthy warrior."

Tony snorts in amusement before shifting his weight to his other leg and folding his arms across his chest. "There isn't enough time on Earth to even begin teaching Toni how to fully understand sword fighting. Trust me, we've tried fencing multiple times in the past. Never ended well for either of us."

The brown haired girl scoffs in mock annoyance as she places her free hand on her chest. "Rude," she says with a sassy head roll. Her and her father share an annoyed roll of the eyes and Toni turns to Loki. "I say we call it quits," she suggests. "I'm tired and sticky and smelly and I can't take it anymore. I need a shower."

"Agreed," the green-eyed man responds, picking at the mildly itchy fabric of the sweatshirt he wears. "You have pushed yourself hard enough for the day. We will resume our training later."

"I hope you mean later this week," Tony says, cutting Toni off before she could respond. "Because we're heading back to New York later today. Meaning shower fast, pack a few things and get ready to go."

A small, disappointed frown pulls the daughter's lips down as she snaps her fingers. "Darn," she says after a moment to choose her words wisely. "I was gonna take Loki on the beach to teach him how to drive."

"In one of my cars?" her dad questions, raising a skeptical eyebrow at the statement. "You gotta be kidding me right?"

Toni shakes her head. "No way, definitely not one of yours," she clarifies, earning a nod of approval from her father. "I was gonna take that Jeep we have in the garage that no one knows where it came from or why we have it but we just keep it there for some reason."

"I feel like it belongs to someone…" the genius says, turning his eyes to the ceiling in deep thought. "Ok, we really need to get out of here," he comments, snapping instantly from his daze at the sight of a fifty pound weight hanging eight feet over his head. "I don't want Reindeer Games over here loosing focus and dropping something on me."

Loki turns his attention to the man beside him. "As I have said before," he starts. "All that is required to keep you material in the air is a minor level of concentration near the back of my awareness. Our safety is nothing to be concerned about."

"Still," Tony retorts, lightly pushing his daughter toward the exit. "I don't wanna take that risk. Put everything back and we can start getting ready to go."

Toni shakes her father's grip and waits at the base of the stairs. "Hurry up, Frosty!" she calls to Loki as he lowers the ring and other equipment back to their spots. "We don't have all day!"

"No one said you had to wait for me," the green-eyed man responds, snapping his fingers to make the swords disappear. "But I am grateful you care so much to do so."

Toni snorts and cracks her knuckles at her sides. "I wouldn't say I cared that much," she responds. "I'm just so used to waiting for you it's become a habit. But seriously, hurry. I'm starting to make myself nauseous with my BO."

Tony and Loki share a mild disgusted look as Loki steps out from the newly restored gym. The father is the first to snap out of his daze and shakes his head. "I'm just going to act like that never happened and say get in the shower, you nasty, smelly child."

The brown haired girl scoffs and slides past her father, beginning her trip up the stairs as she scratches the side of her head. "I'm going to act like you never said that, you horrible, snobby man."

The billionaire shrugs and follows his child up the stairs. "I'm willing to accept that."

Loki follows the strange family up the stairs and reaches the top as the two walk in their separate directions, Tony going up to his room as his daughter veers off to go to her room. Upon seeing Loki, she stops and motions him forward. "Don't just stand there like an idiot," she teases lightly, continuing down towards her room. "You still gotta get a shower, then we gotta find something to put your stuff in when we go back to New York."

"I am coming," he says; follow the lead of the bubbly brown haired girl. "Not everyone possesses the natural hyperactivity you do, you know. Meaning it takes an actual effort of our part to accomplish things at the speeds at which you can."

Toni snorts and pauses in her doorway. "Walking up the stairs and down the hallway is not a huge effort, Loki-babe," she retorts, a small smirk forming on her lips. "Anyhow, I gotta shower. When you're done, either go up to Dad's room and ask if he has an extra suitcase for your stuff or wait until I get out and let me do it."

A mild hesitance flashes across Loki's face as he reaches for the doorknob to his room. "I would rather you ask in my place," the trickster says. "Your father does not seem to take a liking to my presence at the moment…"

She nods in understanding and folds her arms across her chest. "Ok then, I'll be out in a few. Wait in my room when you finished." The girl slips into her room and shuts the door.

Loki nods and walks into his own room, shutting the door before heading to the bathroom. The water is turned on before he grabs a towel and washcloth from underneath the cabinet, along with a new bar of soap, having forgotten the one he's already used in the other bathroom. He drops his soiled attire and steps in, confused beyond belief at the sudden rush of cold water that assaults his body when he stands under the faucet. The god knows he turned the hot water valve on before he gathered the necessary materials to shower. If so, then why is it cold? It's not like he's human and the cold bothers him, it's the fact that it's supposed to be hot and it's not that's bugging him.

A thought floats through his head and he remembers Toni's prank on Steve, turning off the hot water when he attempted to shower. Either they forgot to turn it back on when he left, or Toni has turned it back off without him knowing. Both options seem plausible given the circumstances, but Loki decides to go with option two. The god snaps his fingers and the water instantly begins to heat up. With the second snap, a small smirk forms on Loki's lips, giving him a mild satisfied feeling in knowing revenge has been served.

He showers quickly and dresses in the same fashion, waving a hand to fix his hair and rid his body of the spare droplets that he missed when he dried himself. The god tosses his dirty clothes in the basket in the corner and reaches for the doorknob, pausing to listen to the terrified scream coming from the room across from his. The smirk widens as he opens the door and knocks lightly on Toni's. "Is everything alright?" he asks, intentionally over adding the false innocence in his voice. "I heard a scream."

The door is thrown open and Toni stands in the doorway, fully dressed with a stunned expression on her face. Loki's eyes examine his handiwork with smug satisfaction. Toni's once straight and manageable hair stands in all directions, the brown and blonde being replaced by bright orange and pink. "Loki!" she nearly screeches, pointing at her hair as the mischief-maker continues to smirk. "What the hell!"

Tony, clad only in a towel and a hurriedly put on sock, slides into the hallway, a thick, wooden hairbrush clutched in his hand. "What's happening?" he asks, failing to notice his daughter. "I heard a scream."

"I believe Toni is having a bad hair day, as one would call it," Loki replies curtly, nodding at the glaring teenager in the doorway.

"What?" the genius says, dropping his arms with a bemused look on his face. "Bad hair day? That's what this is all about." He turns his half glare to his daughter. "Why would you-" The sentence is cut short as the father finally spots the cause of the scream, taking only a second to register and make him double over in laughter. "What the world!" he manages to choke out around the fit. "What happened?"

"Loki, apparently," the now carrot colored girl says, still shooting daggers at the trickster. "Although I have no reason WHY he would do it…."

Loki's smirk turns to a warm smile as he places a hand on Toni's head, patting it twice before letting it rest. "You turned off my hot water," he explains, moving his hand to tap her nose. "Maybe next time you will reconsider before you do it again."

"I didn't do it the first time!" the girl counters, throwing her hands up in exasperation as he father's laughter begins to die down. "I did it to Steve! Ok, I may have forgotten to turn it back on, but that doesn't give you the right to fuck with my hair!"

"That is my way of paying you back for turning my hair that god awful yellow color in your painting session," he replies curtly, earning another chuckle from Tony.

"You turned his hair yellow?" the father asks, clutching his now sore sides. "Why?"

"I was in paint on the computer and I wanted to see how it would look, ok!" Toni cries. She reaches up and clutches a handful of her hair between her fingers. "This is not acceptable!"

"But it is amusing," the god responds innocently. "And easily fixable, I might add. It is another simple spell I have learned when I was just beginning the art."

"Then _fix it_!" the girl all but hisses, tightening her grip on her hair. "I can't go outside like this!"

Tony shakes his head, still holding back more laughter, and turns to walk away. "Well, I'll let you two settle this out," he starts, readjusting his towel as he flees the scene. "Hurry it up though, we still gotta find something Vixen here can put his crap into."

The father leaves and Toni sighs, lowering her arm and releasing her hair from the death grip she had on it. "All right, Loki," she starts, forcing calmness into her voice. "Fun and game time is over. Change my hair back, we gotta go."

The trickster gives a sickly sweet side smile and tilts his head slightly to the side. "But it is such a vast improvement to your prior appearance," he counters in false innocence, making a scowl form on Toni's face.

"You're such a dick," the angered girl nearly growls, making the smile on Loki's face widen. "You're a huge dick. Oh my GOD!" Once again, Toni throws her arms in the air in exaggeration as she turns to go back into her room. "Fine then! I'm staying here."

Loki chuckles as he watches Toni walk over and fall face first onto her mattress. "You are so melodramatic," he comments, taking a step into the room. "Tis only a jest." The god earns no response, making him roll his eyes and snap his fingers. "There," he starts as Toni's hair falls back into place. "Your hair has returned to its former glory. There is no longer any need to pout." Still no response.

The trickster raises an eyebrow at his host's uncharacteristic silence and walks over to the bed, grabbing and gently shaking her shoulder. "Toni?" That earns a small groan of annoyance from the brown haired girl as she turns over and clutches her pillow, surprising Loki on how easily she switched from enraged to sleeping in under ten seconds.

"Is she really asleep?" Tony, now fully dressed, asks from the doorway. A frown of immense disappointment pulls the father's lips down at the sight of Toni's normal hair. "Damn, and you changed her hair back. I was gonna send a picture to Pepper…." He sighs and walks over, carefully lifting his daughter into his arms as he would a baby before he turns to the black haired man. "Go get your stuff," he instructs. "We gotta go."

Loki nods and brushes past the genius to gather his things, using the same spell from before to string the bags together in the air behind him. "I am ready," he says Tony grabs a random stuffed animal for his daughter to hold.

"Great," the father responds, leading the way down the hallway and out the door. "Jarvis, lock up when we leave."

"Of course, sir," the AI responds, darkening the house as the last of Loki's bags float out the door. "I will speak to you again in New York."

"See you then buddy," Tony says, shutting the door. He listens as the automatic locks slide into place and nods once he feels like everything is secured. After shifting his daughter in his arms, he turns and fishes the keys from his pocket to pop the trunk for Loki. "Put your stuff in there," he says, opening the door to the backseat to put his daughter in. "We'll leave as soon as you're ready."

Loki nods and points to the empty trunk, mentally commanding the bags in. The long string does as instructed and the god closes the trunk once finished. He walks to the front and sits in the passenger side as Tony starts up the car. "Might wanna hold onto something, Rudolph," the genius advises, pulling out of the driveway. "Our flight leaves in half an hour and we're roughly an hour away. I don't feel like being lectured today, so I plan on making it."

The mischief god tightly clutches the door as he watches the speedometer's needle slowly rise; worry etching itself on his face. "Gods help me," he silently prays. "For I may not make it out of this alive…."

Toni groans tiredly as she rests her head against the elevator wall eight hours later. "I'm so sleepy," she whines, listening to Loki mutter the words of invisibility as the metal box rises under them. "Why did I have to wake up? Someone could have carried me."

A sarcastic chuckle falls from her father's lips at the statement, making Toni glare at him from the corner of her eye. "Yeah right," Tony replies. "Carrying you to the car when we left wore me out. So carrying you everywhere else wasn't even an option. Besides, you woke up on your own halfway to the jet, so it's your own fault."

"Meh!" the teen whines again, lifting her head to bang it against the metal. "Damn nightmares! I'm tired!"

"Did you remember to bring your medicine from home?" the god asks at the same time Tony cuffs her in the back of the head for swearing.

"Damn!" Toni responds, earning another cuff from her father. "I did forget my meds!"

"Really?" the older Stark asks as the elevator stops on their floor. "You mean to tell me we just flew across the country and you forgot the one thing that keep you sane?" An aggravated sigh passes the man's lips as he steps out from the box. "I guess I have no choice but to be the good father and go get them tomorrow right?"

The brown haired girl pushes herself from the wall and follows her father out, dragging her feet unenthusiastically. "I'm sorry D-"

A fist comes from out of nowhere as she steps from the elevator, cutting off her sentence as she drops to the ground to dodge it. Loki watches in unseen bemusement as Toni rolls the rest of the way from the elevator as a foot stomps the ground where her head was. The girl snaps an arm out to avoid the next onslaught of hits from a familiar face, never failing to surprise the god on how fast she actually in battle. For every movement the Man of the Hawk's Eye throws at the small warrior, she always has at least two ready to counter it.

It's only when Barton catches her roundhouse kick five minutes later does her mind blank out completely. The agent lifts Toni in the air by her leg and tosses her across the room like a rag doll, earning a surprised yelp from the rag doll herself as her senses return. Toni twists in the air and lands softly on her feet, whipping around to smirk at the man who threw her. "Come on, Clint," she teases. "You use that move almost every time we fight. Get some new material…"

After a moment, the agent returns the smirk and straightens. "I gotta say, Short Stack," he starts, earning a frown from Toni at the name. "You've improved since we've last sparred. I may need to kick it up a notch."

"Or," the hazel-eyed girl says, standing and holding her hands in front of her in a slow down manner. "You could just leave me alone and not try to kill me every time we see each other… That's a good idea."

Clint ponders the option then shakes his head. "Nah, then it'd get boring. I prefer kicking it up a notch."

Toni rolls her eyes and walks over to the shorthaired man, throwing her arms around his back. "Of course you do," she grumbles into his chest. "You always wanna kill me…."

"That's not true," the man responds, returning the hug. "Most of the time I just wanna duct tape your mouth shut to get a few minutes of silence."

A scoff is heard from the girl as she pushes away and starts toward the kitchen. "Jerk," she grumbles, throwing open the fridge as Clint and Loki chuckle in amusement. "Where's everyone else, anyway?" she calls to change the subject.

Hawkeye walks in after her and leans against the counter beside her. "Up in the game room," he informs, snagging the Gatorade bottle from her hands before she could open it. "Tasha's playing Steve in air hockey, so it's a big deal."

"Lemme guess," Toni begins as she shoots death lasers at the brown haired agent while retrieving another Gatorade from the fridge. "Natasha's kicking Steve's ass?"

Surprisingly, Clint shakes his head as he takes a sip of the ice blue liquid, making Toni raise a brow as she sips her own red drink. "Actually, Steve's holding up pretty well," he explains. "His reflexes are awesome and Tasha's been going easy on him. Although I'm thinking she may not be holding back as much as she was a few minutes ago." He pushes himself up from the counter and nods a head in the direction of the staircase. "Come on, Short Stuff. We gotta game to watch."

Toni nods and extends an arm out as she finishes her own swig of juice. "You go on ahead," she says. "I'll be right down. I wanna grab a snack."

A loud, sarcastic laugh is pushed from the archer's chest as he starts his ascent to the others. "It's not like it's gonna help any. You're gonna be short for the rest of your life." A small bag of chips smacks the man on the back of his head, landing with a dull rustle as they hit the ground after.

"I am not short!" Toni shouts, glaring at the archer as he turns and scoops up the bag into his hands. "I'm a perfectly healthy height for my age."

Ignoring the comment, Clint smiles at the bag of potato chips, lifting his head to send the grin in the direction of the still glaring teen. "I love this kind," he says sweetly. "Thank you."

The marksman bolts up the stairs having seen Toni grab a wooden spoon to lob at him next, having heard Thor's story about the first time he arrived on Midgard. Once the man is no longer within her throwing range, Toni sighs deeply and slams the spoon back on the counter. "You may not be overly fond of what I am about to say," Loki begins cautiously earning a side glare from Toni in response. "But I am inclined to agree with the archer in your height deficiency."

Toni groans in major annoyance and allows her head to fall onto the countertop, a harsh thud being heard as her skull meets with the linoleum. "Ouch…" she grumbles after a minute, bringing her head up to rub the now red area on her forehead. "That hurt…"

This time it's the god's turn to sigh, shaking his head at his friend's childish behavior. "Again, you fail to take heed to my suggestion about not hurting yourself for five minutes," he says as Toni lifts the cold bottle to her forehead.

"Shush," she says around a half yawn. "Did you want something to snack on while we're down here?" Toni asks, pulling open the cabinet in front of her.

Loki shakes his head. "My hunger is not terrible," he responds, placing a hand on his stomach. "I should be able to last until dinner. Or, in this case, after dinner when we go into your room."

Toni nods as she grabs a Nature Valley bar from the nearly empty box. "Want something to drink?" she offers.

"Water please," Loki responds, earning another round of nodding from the hazel-eyed girl as she reopens the fridge and pulls out a bottle of water. He takes the cold bottle and twists open the top as Toni showed him when he first arrived, taking a drink and feeling a mild relief as the liquid slides into his stomach.

"Is the bottle invisible or will it look like a floating, self emptying, non-spilling bottle keeps following me around?" Toni asks when Loki replaces the top on the bottle. "Cause if it's the latter, please let me know so I don't have to pull an excuse out of my ass like I do every other time…"

Again, Loki shakes his head, muttering a quick spell under his breath to cast the same spell on the bottle that he used on himself. "The bottle is now under the same invisibility charm I am," he informs. "We are free to regroup with the others now."

"Great," Toni says, walking towards the stairs with Loki on her heels. "Now, please, please, please, don't do anything stupid. There are three people up there you don't know you're here, and I can only almost guarantee your safety against two of them if they wanna kill you. Thor's your own issue…"

"Thor is of no issue," Loki assures despite the mild hesitation in his voice. "As you have said, Thor may overpower me in strength, but I am able to make it up in magic. A simple spell or two will render him useless within the first three seconds."

"Great," the girl repeats just before they reach the top. The light coming from the large game room blinds Toni, causing her to lift an arm in attempt to shield her eyes from the glare.

"Young Stark!" the thunder god cries in joy as Toni finishes climbing the stairs, hurrying over to gather her into his signature bone-crushing hug. "It has been far too long since our last gathering in this manner!"

"Yeah," the brown haired girl says with not nearly half as much enthusiasm as Thor. "I know. Four and a half months is a long time. You know what's longer? Death. Which I will be experiencing shortly if you don't let go."

Thor jumps slightly at the words and immediately releases the teen from the embrace, still holding her at arms length with a happy, toothy grin aimed at her. Loki lets out an unmistakable groan of aggravation at the sight and moves around the two, taking a spot near the crowded air hockey table. "My apologies, young one," the thunderer says. "I am just excited about finally being able to see our fellow warriors gathered in one vicinity. It is exhilarating!"

"I'm sure," she responds, unable to resist smiling back at the blond man's grin. "Plus the whole time gap in realms making it much longer than it actually was. I totally understand."

"Wonderful!" Thor exclaims, grabbing Toni's wrist to lead her to the crowd. "Come! The soldier and the Widow are playing the most interesting game! The black piece floats on air as it moves across the board!"

Toni laughs and somehow manages to shake Thor's heavy grip and stands beside him, taking the spot between the two gods without anyone knowing. "I know, Thor," she responds, watching as Steve successfully managed to even out the score between him and Natasha. "It's called air hockey for a reason."

"Let the man have his moment," Tony says, walking over to place a hand on his daughter's head. "This is his first time seeing anything like this. It's special."

The daughter rocks her head under her father's influence and smothers another yawn, unscrewing her Gatorade to take a sip and hopefully reenergize herself. Despite the comforting presence she had with her father last night, she still only managed to sleep for about half an hour before being forced back into consciousness by a terrifying, but unremembered, nightmare about Thanos. It's something about those hate-filled blue eyes that has her scared, which sucks because blue is her favorite color. That plus the fact that she managed to forget her medicine at home means she's not going to be able to sleep at all tonight either.

"Toni," Natasha says for the third time, finally managing to pull the genius's daughter from her thoughts. "Welcome back to the world of the living," she comments dryly as she earns a response from the girl. "Fun and games time is over. Now we plan."

Tony groans childishly and removes his hand from Toni's head, much to her displeasure, and frown deeply at the mention of work. "But we just got here," he argues. "Can't we wait until later to do it?"

Steve releases the hockey paddle and takes a step away from the table, folding his arms across his tee shirt clad chest. "Natasha's right," he agrees, earning another groan from the tower owner. "We need to figure out who's gonna search where for Loki."

Clint grits his teeth at the tricker's name, still incredibly pissed at Loki for taking his willpower a few months ago. Not that anyone, including Toni, blames him. Clint has always been one for doing things on his own time, not under the command of others. The orders he receives from SHIELD are no different, only giving him a rough lay out on the mission with no specifics on how to pull anything off. Being told when and how to do something is one way to earn you a permanent spot on Barton's hate list. That and hurting Natasha or taking all the hot water before he gets in the shower. "Bastard," he growls, statement going unnoticed by all except the trickster god himself.

With a wave of his hand and simple word, the fire haired woman's hand jerks suddenly, causing her to hit the hockey puck directly at Clint's forehead. The black disc bounces off the archer's head and hits the floor with a dull thud. "What the hell Tasha!" the man cries, clutching his reddening forehead as the rest of the Avengers stare in confusion at the female assassin. "What was that for?"

"I don't know what happened," Black Widow explains as Loki smirks in satisfaction. "It's like my hand had a mind of its own!"

When the words hit the air, Toni turns slightly and glares at Loki, who expertly avoids her gaze by scanning the vast amount of Iron Man memorabilia in the area. "Anyway," she says to change the subject. "Now that Natasha has successfully settled some sort of unseen office war, how bout we get back to the matter at hand?"

"Agreed," the super soldier says, taking another step away from the table, as if another puck were to magically soar from the air and smack him in the head. "So, Thor, Bruce, Clint, Natasha and I have already agreed that he's nowhere in Manhattan. But we're inclined to make another few rounds to make sure. It's only been three weeks and Loki has no money, meaning he couldn't have gotten that far."

Thor shakes his head, earning the attention of everyone in the room. "Not nesaccerily," he disagrees, tone hinting no intentions of disrespecting Steve's assumptions. "Loki's magic has the ability to take him anywhere he desires, be it on Midgard or beyond. For all we know, he could have left this realm and is currently residing safely and happily in another."

Toni has to cover her mouth as a knowing smile twitches on the corners of her mouth, notion being noticed by Loki who shares the look but not bothering to hide it. "Well," Steve continues. "We're limited to what we can do on Earth. Meaning if you want to send another group around the galaxy to look for him once you've finished here, go right ahead. For now, we stick to the states, mainly this one."

"We should break up into groups," Toni suggests, finally managing to school her emotions back into an almost interested stare. "I know it's a childish call but it'll make it easier to look everywhere at once."

Rogers nods at the suggestion. "Which is what I was about to say we do." The soldier turns his attention to the ceiling. "Jarvis?" he calls hesitantly to the air. "Can you put up a map of Manhattan?"

"Right away sir," the housekeeper responds as a light blue area map appears on the wall behind Bruce. "Will this be ok?"

"Yes, thank you," Steve says, sliding around Bruce to be closer to the map. "Ok, so there are seven of us in total, two of which can fly around and give us a bird's eye view of things. Those two will each circle around half the island with the dividing line being here." He pauses to draw a horizontal line just above Midtown. "That leaves five people on the ground. Since Toni can't walk her section alone, due to a prior request put in by her father, she will have two people in a group with her. I'll leave that decision up to Toni."

Toni rolls her eyes and hops up to sit on the air hockey table, being stabilized by Loki when the entire table nearly flips from the sudden added weight. "I don't really see the point in me having a partner since I can clearly handle myself," she starts with a yawn. "But seeing as I'm too tired to complain or care at this point, I'll just go with Steve and Bruce."

The soldier nods and turns back to the map. "Ok then. We'll take the lower half of the island and Clint and Natasha will take the upper."

Tony nods a few times and turns to Thor, who stands mesmerized by the projection on the wall. "Hey, Point Break," he says, waving a hand in front of the thunder god's face to snap him from his trance. "I'm circling the lower half. I wanna be closer to Toni in case they actually find the bastard."

Thor nods a few times in understanding and watches as the map disappears from the wall. "If you wish, Stark," he responds. "Although I may require assistance finding the area in which I am searching."

The billionaire nods again and pats the blond man's arm before turning to the stairs. "I got you, buddy," he assures. "Now, who's up for dinner?"

"Food!" his daughter moans as her stomach releases an agreeing rumble. "I need food!" Her eyes turn dreamily to the ceiling, a trance-like smile pulling her lips up. "I love food…so…so much…"

Bruce shoots a strange look to the girl's father, who shrugs and continues his trip down the stairs. "I'm ordering Chinese! If anyone objects, speak now or forever hold your peace!"

The two assassins follow Tony down the stairs, almost shouting over each other to suggest where to order. Toni's stomach releases another whale mating call before she remembers the granola bar she's almost crushing in her hands. The foil is torn open and a bite is taken from the first bar, doing little to nothing to satisfy her hunger. "When was the last time you've eaten anything, Toni?" Bruce questions, finally speaking for the first time since the Starks arrived. "By the looks of it, I'd say at least a day and a half."

Toni shakes her head as she takes a sip of Gatorade to wash down the granola. "Breakfast," she corrects. "Which was at like…. four-ish this morning…."

"That can't be healthy," Steve comments, walking over to pluck the hockey puck from the floor.

"I'm fine," she says around a mouthful of food, earning a disgusted look from Loki. "Anyhow," she whips around to face Thor, shoving the second bar in the god's face. "Try this."

Thor, now sporting a familiar confused look on his face, hesitantly reaches out and plucks the bar from the foil. After sniffing it and giving it a thorough look over, Thor lifts the bar to his lips and takes a bite, bemusement flashing across his features before being replaced by a mixture of emotions. "It is dry," he says, taking another bite as he struggles to finish his first. "But delicious." He looks down at Toni with a smile. "Almost like pop tarts."

A similar grin fastens itself on Toni's lips as she looks up at the thunderer. "I knew you'd like them." She turns and faces Steve and Bruce, arms extended in a way that almost makes her look like a motivational speaker. "What say we go wait for the food downstairs?"

Another yawn forces past Toni's lips as she finishes pulling her shirt over her head, vision blurring as tired induced tears cloud her eyes. "Damn," she says as the yawn finishes, spotting Loki as he moves in to retake his usual perch on the edge of her bed. "I'm tired…"

"You say that as if it were not obvious already," he comments, picking the last of the Chinese food from the container Toni snagged for him. After lifting the fork to his lips for the last time, he sends the empty box, along with the dirty fork, back to the kitchen to be properly disposed of in the morning. He wipes his hands on the napkin he brought and turns to Toni. "Am I sleeping in here or am I to have my own room?"

"You're sleeping in here," the brown haired girl responds, sitting beside him on the bed before flopping to lie on her back. "Sorry buddy, that whole room thing was only a temporary fix. It's back to hardwood floors for you…"

"Damn," the magic user mutters, mimicking her actions and laying on his back. "I despise hardwood flooring…"

"You say that as if it were not obvious already," Toni replies in a sorry attempt to copy his tone. The two share a quiet chuckle before lapsing into a comfortable silence, both staring at the ceiling in tired interest. "That wasn't nice," the teen says, breaking the silence with a small frown. "Making Natasha hit Clint in the head with the hockey puck… It wasn't nice.'

"Kindness was the last thing on my mind at the moment," the god responds without missing a beat. "I only reacted to a comment he made under his breath."

"Hm," Toni responds hazily, too tired to actually form words. She takes a quick moment to regain a small amount of energy before pushing herself up into a sitting position. "You take the comforter and one pillow," she instructs as she did the first night before standing. "I get the sheet and the other pillow."

Loki pulls a faint smile at the familiar words, also pushing himself to his feet. "I understand," he says with a nod, aiding the tired girl in her attempts to take the comforter off the bed. Once his pile has been established, the god nods in mild satisfaction and turns to Toni, already tucked under the thin sheet that's left on the bed. "Would you like me to charm you into sleep?" he offers, knowing it would be hard for her to sleep any other way.

Toni shakes her head and yawns again, already feeling her lids grow heavy with fatigue. "Just make the nightmares go away," she requests. "Please?"

"Of course," Loki responds, placing a soft hand on Toni's head. He mutters strange words under his breath, making the same pale blue lights dance under his fingertips as before. Toni's breath evens out fairly quickly after that, so Loki knows she has fallen asleep. Smothering his own yawn, the god turns and lies on his own pile, growing annoyed with the hardwood as soon as he does.

Another spell is muttered and a small patch of soft carpet appears under Loki's pile, immediately relieving the trickster of the cold floor. Why he didn't think of this the first night is a mystery to him, but he quickly changes his opinion and blames it on the circumstances of the arrival. With the stress of escape and the magic going into maintaining the cloaking spell keeping him from being found, he's surprised he even remembered where the tower was in the first place. The yawn he smothered before is back with a vengeance and forces its way past his lips, sending a sudden wave of exhaustion over the black haired man. The god's eyes fall shut and his breath falls into a sleep filled rhythm as he too falls into sleep's warm embrace.


	12. Chapter 12

**Hello my people! Thank you for continuously following my story even though i havent been to reliable with posting lately. This just happened to be the weeks my teachers decided to swamp me with homework and stuff. I can't exactly promise it wont happen again, but i'll try to keep the delays shorter hopefully.**

**In response to a comment made by Whispers From a Silver Tongue (if i remember correctly) its ok that you forgot this story exists. As i've said, i havent really been loyal to my posting dates. Anyway onto the story!**

**I do not own Marvel or any of it's characters.**

The god on the floor is awoken by a small yelp of surprise that is followed closely by a sudden weight falling on his back, a round of male laughter heard not long after. Of course the weight is only a mild annoyance to the god, but the fact that it remains on his back is what aggravates him the most. "What the hell, Steve!" comes from the person laying on him as she shifts into a sitting position. "I was asleep!"

"Clearly," the soldier responds as Loki blinks into full awareness. "That's why I woke you up. It's almost nine in the morning and we leave to make our rounds at ten thirty-ish."

"You could have done a better job," Toni grumbles, reaching up to rub the back of her head. "The landing was surprisingly soft though…."

"Landing on another being tends to soften the blow for the falling being," the black haired man grumbles, earning a confused look from Toni as the pieces start to put themselves together. "Now, if it wouldn't interrupt your conversation, could you please remove yourself from me?"

Realization flashes across Toni's face as she scrambles to her feet, leaping onto her bed in a crouch as she peers over the side at Loki. "I am so sorry!" she nearly cries as the trickster pushes himself to his feet. "Steve pushed me and I fell! I didn't even hear him come in!"

Steve smiles in satisfaction at the girl's statement and folds his arms across his chest. "So those stealth lessons with Natasha did pay off," he says happily, earning a sideways glare from Toni. "This is going to be fun…"

"That's gonna get you killed," the brown haired girl corrects with a finger in the air matter-of-factly. "Trust me, I can not guarantee your safety if you try that again… Anyway, why the hell did you push me out of bed? You could have just called!"

"That would be too easy," the blond man says with a shrug, another smile pulling his lips up. "Clint was just going to punch you in the stomach really hard, so in the end you win."

Toni rolls her eyes to the ceiling and sighs, pulling her legs from under her to let them hang over the edge. "I forgot we had other people here," she mutters to herself before turning her attention back to the soldier. "Dad knows about Loki now, FYI."

Another shrug from the blond man. "I should have figured it was going to happen sooner or later," he says, earning a look of annoyance from the hazel-eyed girl. "How'd he take it?"

The annoyance melts back into uncaring as she mimics the captain's shrug. "I guess he took it as well as anyone could have imagined," she says with a smothered yawn. "He did try to blow his head off when he first found him, and he still doesn't trust him worth jack shit. But he's letting him stay so…"

"That's all that matters," Steve finishes with a nod. "Well, I'm going to go and tell everyone you're up. You guys are the masters of hiding Loki and stuff, so I'll let you two handle breakfast and whatnot." He turns and heads for the door, throwing a wave over his shoulder as he leave. "See you later."

"Later!" Toni calls back as the door is shut, using the palm of her hand to kneed her eye. "Well, Loki-babe," she says lifting her head to peer at him with the eye she's not rubbing. "Looks like it's back to the old grind."

A mild sense of confusion washes over the tricker's face and he raises an eyebrow. "I do not understand," Loki says. "What are we grinding?"

Toni groans in annoyance and slides off the bed and slides past the confused magician to walk to her closet, ignoring his bemused green eyes as best as possible. "It's an expression, Lokikins," she clarifies, walking in and flicking on the light. "Meaning you can't just go walking around out in the open anymore. We actually have to hide you for a bit again. At least until we separate and start looking, anyways."

The god nods at the explanation and watches as Toni selects today's clothing, hints of a frown working the corners of his lips. "Why did you not say that to start with?" he asks, making Toni groan again. "Using worthless phrases to explain something not only wastes your own time, but the time of the listener as well."

"Cheese and rice, Loki, shut up," the brown haired girl says lightly, nodding approval at the selected clothes. "You're annoying when you get confused and make me explain things."

"If you would refrain from using perplexing phrases then I would stop having you explain," the man shoots back, smiling faintly at the hints of teasing on the ends of Toni's words. "Your use of the phrase 'cheese and rice', for example, would be one of the terms I would need you to explain."

"It's a way I can complain without offending anyone," she enlightens quickly, standing toe to toe with Loki as she tosses her clothes on the bed. A playful gleam leaps under the green tint in her eyes and a smirk tugs at the corners of her mouth. "Pfft, and you're supposed to be smart?" she jokes, craning her head to look into the man's eyes. "You can't even understand basic mortal phrases."

Loki scoffs jokingly at the phrase and lowers his gaze to meet Toni's, sharing the same playful gleam she holds. "Your phrases are childish and utterly useless in daily conversations," he responds. "It takes a simple mind, such as the one you possess, to comprehend any of them."

A light laughter falls from Toni's lips as she smacks Loki's chest and steps away, twisting around him toward the hallway. "Whatever, Frosty," she shoots back, hearing the familiar yet strange words being uttered by Loki. "Let's get food, I'm hungry."

"I do not see why," Loki says, trailing behind her a few steps as she tugs her shirt down slightly. "Last night you ate like you have been fighting for your life on a daily basis. Another question one may have, keeping the amount of food you ate in mind, is where would one with your naturally small stature store all of that? Where does it all go?"

Toni's lips press together in a small line as she bobs her head slightly, eyes floating to the ceiling in thought. "That's not the strangest thing I've been asked," she replies honestly, jabbing the button to the elevator as she does. "I'm not even going to explain what that was, but it was pretty weird…and disturbing…" Loki raises an eyebrow at the statement but Toni quickly changes the subject as the elevator doors slide open. "To answer your question," she blurts, stepping inside the metal box and holding the door open for Loki. "I think it's due to my…how did you put it…. natural hyperactivity? Yeah that's it. It's due to that, meaning I need more food to burn off otherwise I'll crash."

"I see," the black haired man says as he jabs the button for the lower floor. "It's solid logic, I will give you that."

A smirk pulls Toni's lips up as the box begins its descent. "I have my moments," she retorts with a slight bounce. "Now hush, we're almost there."

"So rude," Loki chuckles as the doors slide open. "Is it necessary?"

Toni shoots him a playful glare before turning to the living room, stretching her arms over her head as she steps out of the box. "What's for noms?" she asks as she approaches, making Thor turn and beam brightly at her.

"Young Stark!" he says, practically leaping up and meeting her halfway to the kitchen. His arms tightly lock around her back and, once again, her feet dangle awkwardly in the air from the hug. "Good morrow young one! Did you sleep well?"

"Sleep was great, Big Guy," the brown haired girl responds, using the free part of her arm to pat the thunderer on the back the best she can. "You know what's better than sleeping? Not dying. Please let go?"

Thor releases his grip and Toni drops back to the floor, repressing the coughing fit she worked up while her lungs were pressed to her ribs. "Many apologies, young one," the blond says, grin still fixed firmly on his lips. "I always forget how fragile and small you really are."

Tony laughs from behind the counter and places his elbows on the linoleum. "You got that right," he agrees, earning a glare from his daughter. "She talks a big game but she can do anything to back it up."

"You didn't say that when I kicked your ass two weeks ago," the younger girl counters, earning a warning glare from her father. "Matter of fact, you didn't say anything but uncle!"

"Watch your mouth," the billionaire says, all hints of teasing and joking out of his voice. "I'm not gonna tell you again."

The girl's sass leaves and she drops her attention to the floor, folding her arms behind her back like the mischief god beside her. "I'm sorry," she says quickly, listening in annoyance as Loki chuckles beside her.

"The ever confident Toni Stark silenced by mere words from her father, when just a week ago, she was back talking a soldier twice his size," the black haired man narrates with a smirk, locking eyes with the glaring Toni when she turns her head slightly.

"Anyway," she says, lifting her head fully to lock eyes with Thor. "Have you been properly fed and such?"

Thor's grin returns, having fell during the family's fall out, and he nods a few times in confirmation. "I have! Though I must say, I find cold cereal unsatisfying in comparison to pop tarts."

"A lot of people do," she replies hints of a smile working back on her face. "But Toaster Strudels are much better in my opinion." She whips around and walks to the kitchen. "Speaking of…" Toni mutters as she opens the freezer, smiling as her father leans in and places a kiss on top of her head. "I want breakfast."

"Well hurry up," Clint says, appearing in the kitchen door for the sole purpose of successfully scaring Toni. "We're leaving soon," the archer continues, trying not to laugh as Toni attempts to regain herself from on top of the fridge. "Meaning less climbing the fridge and more looking into it."

Toni, still clutching the cereal box she grabbed as a weapon, lowers her arm and tries to the same with her heart rate. She releases her death grip on the now dented box and sighs in relief at the sight of her friend. "Well I wouldn't be climbing it if you weren't such a cum dumpster," she shoots back, hopping down from her perch as Thor enters the crowding area. "And quit scaring me! It's not funny!"

"For you, maybe," Barton responds, folding his arms over his chest with a smug smirk on his face. "It's hilarious for everyone else."

A mildly bemused look plays on the thunder god's face as he watches Toni hop from on top of the fridge. "This is the second time you have fled to the top of the large containment rectangle in high stress situations," Thor observes with a raised eyebrow. "Is there a particular reason why that is?"

Loki turns his curious, green orbs to the brown haired girl from his spot in the living room. "That is a good question," he says, noticing the slight twinge of an unfamiliar emotion flicker past Toni's eyes. "Why is it you flee there of all places instead of behind your father?"

Toni shrugs and places her hands on top of her head, tilting her head back to look at the ceiling with an uncaring expression. "Call it a survival instinct of sort," she responds, carefully choosing her words in a way that she wouldn't upset herself. "Sometimes when Mom got drunk and rampaged, I'd climb up on the fridge to stay out of her arm's range. Of course, she was easily tall enough to reach me, but at the times, she'd be too drunk to realize it." A mirthless smirk twitches at her lips as similar laugh forces itself into the air. "I guess old habits die hard right?"

There's a moment of odd silence shared between the group, unable to find a suitable response for what they've been told. Tony, of course, has the most experience in dealing with these types of situations and should be able to clear the air fairly quickly after something like that's been said. But even he's been thrown through a loop with that one. He's always assumed there wasn't a real reason behind his daughter's strange fridge climbing habit and would often tease her about it. Now he almost feels bad for doing it. Then again, she's never told him the back-story, so he always assumed it was all right.

Before anyone could properly disband the awkward situation, Steve walks in, clutching the daily paper and a pencil in his hands. "Does anyone know another word for computer?" he asks, shaking everyone from their silence. "Also called a laptop?"

"Try personal computer," the daughter suggests, returning to her fridge raiding. "If that doesn't work, I don't know what to tell you."

Rogers pauses a moment to scribble in the letters before smiling. "It worked," he confirms nodding once in the brown haired girl's direction. "Thanks."

Toni returns the nod but doesn't remove her eyes from the freezer. "No problem, Gramps," she teases flatly, listening as Natasha's boots click against the hardwood as she enters the room. "Do we have any more Toaster Strudels?" she asks aloud.

"I think Bruce ate the last one before he went to bed last night," Clint responds, moving next to his red haired colleague.

The door is slammed shut and Toni turns to walk back to the elevator. "Looks like I'm getting shawarma for breakfast later," she grumbles to no one in particular as she presses the button. "I'm getting dressed."

"'Tasha, Thor and I'll start searching in our area," Clint informs, tucking his knife in the holder at his side. "You need to hurry up so we can finish at a reasonable time."

"No later than eight," Tony informs, walking over to the bar with a small glass in hand. "We're watching _Legion_ then. Toni and I've been planning on this for a while now."

"Movie night tonight at eight, got it," Natasha says as she slides her gun in her boot. "We'll be back and ready by seven forty-five."

"Sounds good," Bruce says as he enters the room. "What movie are we watching again?"

"_Legion_," Steve relates, setting the crossword puzzle aside as he munches on an apple. "Don't know what it is but it sounds weird."

"You'll see when the movie starts," the female assassin says, moving her group out the door. "We'll regroup in Central Park at around seven and start walking back from there."

The men in the room nod as the door is shut before all of them turn to the living room. "All right, Rudolph," Stark says, earning a small glare from the god. "You can come out now. Everyone who wants to arrest you has left the building."

Loki snaps his fingers and appears beside Bruce, making the doctor jump harshly in surprise. "I saw," the green-eyed man informs, taking a seat in front of the bar. "I do have eyes."

"It'd look weird if you didn't," the father retorts without missing a beat, turning to pull open the fridge door. "Are you hungry or do you wanna wait till Toni gets shawarma?"

"I'll have breakfast here if it's no trouble," Loki responds, straightening and setting his folded hands on the counter. "I'll take a-"

"Shawarma," the brown haired girl interrupts, plopping down in the chair beside the god. "We'll just swing by and grab it during the rounds," she continues, smoothing the wrinkles on the black and blue plaid skirt she's changed into. "Besides, we're finally back in New York and it's only a few blocks away." She swivels around in the chair to face the black haired man. "You'll be fine right?"

Loki sighs and pushes himself away from the bar, turning to walk back to Toni's room. "I suppose," he responds, pushing the elevator button again. "I shall return after I am dressed."

Steve grunts as he too stands and walks to the elevator. "I guess I have to get dressed now, too, right?"

"That's right," Toni says, reaching across the bar to snag the open bottle of vodka her dad left out the night before. "You woke me up before you even got yourself ready, you hypocrite." Right before Toni takes a sip from the bottle she holds, her father reaches out and snags it from her, causing her to pour a small amount on the counter. "Hey!"

"No alcohol before noon," the brown haired billionaire says, replacing the top on the bottle and moving it to the top of the refrigerator. "Isn't that the new rule?"

The brown haired girl, having nothing else better to say, turns and starts grumbling obscenities under her breath. "Whatever," she mutters after her unheard rant. "Hurry up, people." She pushes herself to her feet and lifts her arms over her head, causing part of the shirt she has on to pull up and reveal part of her stomach.

"Why are you wearing that?" her father asks, frowning at the red, white, and blue shield that glitters slightly on its white background. "Your Iron Man's daughter and yet you wear Spangle's colors?"

Toni smiles sweetly at her dad as Steve and Loki return from changing, a shrug pulling her shoulders up as she snags her cell phone from its charger. "Face it Daddy," she says, shoving the phone in the baby blue sling bag lying under her feet. "You may have birthed me, but Steve's my favorite. Yeah, he almost made me slam my boob on the steering wheel that one time, but I still love him."

The captain smiles at the girl and slings an arm over her shoulder once her gets her within arm's range. "And other than your horrible language and inability to follow orders, I love you too."

"Whoo!" Toni cheers, lifting her arms over her head in victory.

Bruce manages a small smile at the scene and folds his arms over his chest. "If you two are done," he starts. "Can we go now?"

"Yes!" the girl nearly shouts, walking from Steve's arm to hug her father. "See you later Dad," she says. "Be careful up there. We don't want you hitting anymore birds, do we?"

Tony frowns but returns the hug anyway. "That only happened once," he defends, releasing the girl before turning to the porch. "Anyway, call if anything happens."

"Will do," Steve says, shoving his own cell phone into the pocket of the blue jeans he wears. "See you later."

Tony waves one final time as the Iron Man suit is assembled onto his body and he leaps into the air, his thrusters kicking in just before he begins to fall. The younger Stark sighs at the sight and nods a few times in approval. "Never gets old," she breathes. "Steve! Where's your shield?"

"I'm not carrying it," the soldier replies, watching as Loki ties his tie around his neck. "We have no threat. Loki's right here. Besides, it's too much to be lugging around for hours at a time."

"Still, you never know what may happen," the teen retorts, scanning the area and spotting the shield discarded beside the couch. "I'll carry it." Before Steve could object, Toni starts toward the shield and picks it up, using the straps in the back to carry it over her shoulder. "We'll switch off every so often. This way, if something other than Loki happens, we'll be ready."

"What is there besides Loki?" Bruce asks as they start toward the elevator.

The brown haired girl shrugs. "I don't know! A rabid dog, maybe? Bigfoot? The neighbor, Ted?"

Loki raises an eyebrow at the words and lowers his gaze to Toni's. "You've stolen that from a television advertisement, haven't you?" he questions.

"What if I did?" is the response he gets as Toni's eyes float to his. "What are you gonna do about it, Lokikins?"

Bruce snorts at the nickname and turns to Loki, trying futilely to hide the mirth in his eyes. "Lokikins?" he repeats, earning a glare from the god. "Really?"

Steve, who also broke into a fit of giggles at the word, points a mildly skeptical finger at the girl. "And she's been allowed to get away with that for how long?"

Toni shrugs again and steps out as the doors slide open on the ground level. "I've got plenty more where that came from," she comments, shifting the shield on her shoulder. "So he knows it's basically pointless to try to get me to call him anything else."

"It is true," the god confirms with a disappointed sigh. "It's as if she is attempting to annoy me to death with the pet names."

"It's your reaction she's after," Banner says, keeping pace with the men in the back as Toni bounces out the door ahead. "I remember her telling me when she started calling me Brucey Bear."

Steve tries his hardest to keep a straight face at the name, but fails when he sees Loki's struggle. "I'm sorry," he says when he gets glared at by Bruce. "But seriously? Brucey Bear? That's worse than Lokikins."

"Hey!" Toni calls, turning to walk backwards to keep the men in her view. "Instead of talking about the clearly awesome nicknames I give you guys, how bout putting your energy to good use and walking faster. I want food."

Loki nods and quickens his pace enough to level with Toni before returning to his casual stroll. "I agree," he says. "Seeing how rudely I was cut off before I could eat anything."

"We were late as we were," the hazel-eyed girl says as the other two finally catch up. "Or at least that's what I thought until Steve needed to get dressed. Lying bastard."

The black haired man chuckles slightly at Toni's childishness before sticking his hands into the pockets in his suit jacket. "So what is this shawarma you constantly complain about?" he asks after a moment.

"It's some sort of Arabic sandwich," Toni simplifies, glancing over her shoulder for the confirmation nod from Bruce. "It's great! I think you'll like it!"

Loki nods a few times in agreement before returning his gaze to the scenery around him. "I only hope it is worth all of the excitement you have for it," he comments as Toni switches the shield to her other shoulder.

"It is," she replies. "Trust me, if my dad likes it, and he's about as picky as they come, you'll love it."

A sarcastic laugh pushes past Loki's lips before he has a chance to stop it. "You obviously do not know how demanding I can be," he says with a smug smirk. "We'll see how "great" it is when we get there."

A few minutes of arguing later, Toni leads the group into the shawarma place from before. Since Loki has no idea what he wants, Bruce takes the liberty of ordering him a chicken one to which Loki is incredibly grateful. Toni and Steve both get beef and Bruce orders a lamb one for himself. They order to-go since they are supposed to be looking for Loki after all. Well, at least acting like they are since everyone covering the south side knows he's there.

The wait isn't long and they begin eating as they walk out the door after Toni pays. Loki finds himself in mild awe after the first bite comes out better than he could ever imagine, much to Toni benefit. As it would seem, she and Steve had placed a bet on whether or not the god would actually like the sandwich. Toni, of course, placed her money on him enjoying the food while Steve was convinced that Loki had higher tastes coming from royalty and all. A fact to which Toni responds "This is the same god who I managed to successfully get addicted to milkshakes. His tastes aren't that high."

The quartet make there way back to the tower and begin "searching" south of that, deciding to make the trip in a huge circle until they reach central park. Walking at the rate they are, Loki calculates that they should be able to reach said park in a matter of hours and still have time to kill, even going against the flow of traffic. Bruce asks how he could possibly do that type of math in his head in a matter of seconds and have an accurate measurement. Loki merely smiles. "Mortal math is much less complex than that on Asgard," he responds.

Toni rolls her eyes as she tugs on the bottom of her shirt. "I could have told you that was coming," she says to the doctor. "He said the same thing about our languages, something that I strongly disagree with. Spanish is hard as hell!"

Loki chuckles a bit before switching languages and baffling them all when he starts talking in Spanish. One would think he was a native speaker with the way he expertly rolls his Rs and hits every vowel. Once the speech is over, the remaining three do their best to at least attempt to translate the small bits they managed to catch throughout his talking. A moment passes before Toni sucks her teeth and folds her arms across her chest. "Show off."

A few more minutes of walking pass before Toni grows tired of the trek and insists on taking the subway to the south instead of just going it on foot. Bruce immediately opposes the notion by saying, "Do you really want me in a small, underground, metal tube in the meanest city in the world?"

Being the person she is, Toni of course nods and grins widely. "Yeah!" she cheers, throwing her arms in the air. "You said it yourself, you're always angry and you got it under control. What's so bad about adding a tiny bit more frustration? It'll be fun!"

Seeing no way out of this, Bruce caves and they locate the nearest subway station and begin the decent into the packed underground. Toni makes sure to keep a firm grasp on both the shield on her shoulder and Loki on her right, not willing to lose either one in the crowd. Bruce and Steve manage to keep up with Toni's pace despite the seemingly endless swarm of people asking for autographs and pictures. Once Toni realizes their struggle, the brown haired girl releases Loki and climbs on top of one of the benches on her left. She places her fingers to her lips and lets a whistle pierce the air and draw the attention of the hording fans.

The billionaire's daughter holds up a large wad of one hundreds and starts to throw the cash in the air, causing a mass of greedy people to dive over each other in attempt to get at least one. Loki, already seeing how it was going to end, made the bright decision to teleport himself beside Banner and Rogers before the crowd dived in. He was careful to make sure that no one would notice him disappearing and managed to scare Steve in the process with his sudden reappearance. Before she threw the next wave of money, Toni uses her free hand to motion for them to go ahead and board and shouts she'll be there in a minute.

Not waiting to see her throw the next round, the men guide each other to the correct platform and slide into the small and nearly empty car. Toni pushes through the mass and stumbles through the closing doors just before the train starts rolling. The brown haired girl sighs in relief and runs a hand through her hair. "Good grief," she grumbles irritably. "People act like they haven't seen a few hundreds before…."

"Most people haven't seen one," the doctor responds, plucking a straw paper from the side of her head. "The fact that you just showed that much money probably shot you up to number one on the most likely to be robbed list."

Toni snorts in amusement and smoothes her skirt. "I dare anyone to try and rob me," she says, switching the shield to the other shoulder. "I'll unleash Loki on the mother fuckers!" A quick cuff from Steve silences her and she wrinkles her nose at him, refusing to say anything in fear of another cuff. It didn't hurt badly, but enough to cause a dull pounding behind her eye.

The train ride takes them to the edge of Whitehall Street in a matter of minutes and the fight to exit begins. Toni, still tightly gripping Loki and the shield, is the first one to surface, wincing slightly at the sudden surge of light that burns her corneas. Steve and Bruce exit a few minutes later, immediately rushing Toni and complaining about her leaving without them. She justifies the situation by claiming she was more likely to get robbed if she had stayed. The men don't buy her argument and only begin to walk again, both grumbling in annoyance.

Toni smirks slightly and turns to her green-eyed friend, mildly confused at the genuinely amazed look that she finds in Loki's eyes. Bemusement washes through her own eyes and she turns her attention to the spot Loki has locked his. It's nothing too special, just a tall, brick building with a fire escape and a few balconies; not to mention the countless other like it in the surrounding area. She is confused on why he finds the rundown apartment so fascinating when there are possibly hundreds of more eloquent designs in Asgard. Surely something like this is nothing compared to the endless and far more fascinating discoveries back when he didn't attempt to take over the world.

And yet here he stands, awestruck at the sight of less than ideal living quarters. Why? "Do people really live there?" Loki asks, making Toni jump slightly at his sudden speech.

Toni nods. "I guess," she says, examining some of the boarded up windows and taped off areas of the street. "I mean, someone might, right? There are people here."

Loki's dark brows pull together in confusion. "And they are satisfied with their conditions?"

"Maybe," she repeats, turning at the sound of Bruce calling her name and waving them over. "You can sight see as we walk. We gotta go now." She reaches over and takes hold of Loki's cold hand and guides him through the streets, careful not to make him run into anything as his curious eyes scan any and everything in the area. The two catch up to the other Avengers and continue their walk, each taking a turn in guiding Loki as he gazes.

Of course, Steve and Bruce refused to hold his hand while they walked, but that didn't stop them from giving his shoulder a small nudge when he needed to return his focus to the road. The god repeatedly assures them that he has then entire situation under control and that he is perfectly capable of walking and scanning at the same time. A fact he proves perfectly by nearly getting flattened by a Toyota truck that speeds by at the same time he stepped away from a curb. Toni laughs after seeing the horror on the gods face after she yanks him back just before the truck whizzed by, taking a moment before to ask if he was all right. "So much for being able to multitask," she teases, purposely avoiding the harsh daggers Loki is surely shooting at her from the topic.

When pedestrians are actually allowed to cross, Loki warily steps out behind Toni, making sure to mimic her every step a second after she takes it. If anyone has grown accustomed to walking through crowded areas, it's her. He will give credit to Steve, though. He is coping well despite the seventy-year time difference, already accustomed to the toasting device he heard Thor shouting at earlier in the morning.

Hours pass uneventfully and Toni sighs, resting her chin on top of Steve's still glancing about her area from her new perch on his shoulders. Bruce has now been given full custody of the captain's shield until further notice, already growing annoyed with the constant presence on his shoulder. He mentally ponders how Toni was able to put up with it for so long. "Oo!" Toni exclaims slightly, bouncing in excitement and causing Steve to tighten his grip on her shins.

"Calm down, Shorty," the captain warns, already seeing the coming fall. "Your dad will be pretty mad at us if your head busts open on the concrete."

"Put me down!" she says, completely ignoring the blond's warning and attempting her decent. "Now! Please?"

Steve sighs and moves his hands to the bottom of her feet. "Alright, stand up," he instructs, feeling the weight of Toni shift fully to her feet. He lifts her over his head effortlessly as she stands tall in his palms, carefully lowering her to the ground as instructed.

Toni rushes to her right and presses her face against a chain-linked fence, eyes darting across the empty basketball court in front of her. "We should play!" she cheers. "Two on two! Me and Loki against Bruce and Steve!"

Bruce hands the shield back to its owner and steps beside Toni, frowning at the lone ball that sits on the court. "I don't know, Toni," he says hesitantly. "It seems like a trap."

"Why are you worried about it?" she retorts, tilting her gaze to the doctor. "I mean really? We have a super soldier, me, your giant rage beast thingy, and an uber high class, magical talking snowman! We're unstoppable!"

"That's what I'm scared of," Banner responds as Steve and Loki take their places on either side of them. "What if I lose control and…."

The brown haired girl releases an irritated groan and turns to rest her side against the fence as she looks at Bruce. "Listen, Big Guy," she starts, surprising all the men at the firm yet caring tone in her voice. "I understand you're having a hard time coping with the Other Guy as you call him. But I'm gonna tell you like I told Loki way back when. What's the big deal? So what you're a giant green raging beast when you get pissed off? It's not going away just because you don't want it anymore. You can control it can't you? You're not hurting anyone now are you? No! So it doesn't matter. Now take a chill pill and get ready. We're playing." With that, Toni whips around and starts toward the opening in the tall fence, grabbing Loki's hand as she does. "You know how to play basketball, right?"

Bruce stands at the fence a moment longer, taking a minute to process what just happened. He is only pulled from his thoughts when Steve clamps a hand on his shoulder. "She has a way with words, doesn't she?" he questions with a small smirk.

"Yeah," the doctor responds, watching as Toni and Loki repeatedly take turns passing and shooting the ball, Loki's make ratio higher than Toni's by a long shot. A look of mild annoyance and admiration flashes across her face when she watches Loki sink another shot before Banner pushes away from the fence. "We better get in there," he says. "She'll get pretty mad if we don't soon."

"You're right," Rogers says, following the doctor through the gate. "We get ball first!"

"Like hell!" Toni shouts back, snagging the ball from Loki and holding it tightly to her chest. "You'll have to pry it from my cold, dead hands first!"

A playfully wicked look flashes across Steve's face as he approaches the two. "That can be arranged," he says, struggling not to laugh at the horror that flashes across the girl's face.

The first ten minutes are filled with watching Steve chase Toni around for the ball before he finally hooks an arm around her waist and slaps the ball from her grasp. After that, an unofficial, non-timed game of two on two commences, the score remaining tied until Toni trips and manages to score the winning basket for her team, much to everyone's surprise. What surprises Toni the most is how nimble Loki is despite the dress shirt and slacks he dons. Even his fancy shoes remained unscathed as the god darted around the opposers and scored shot after shot for his team. Still, he gave most of the credit to Toni for scoring the winning shot, a title she quickly shot down. "You're the bestest, dude," she declares as she wipes her forehead with one of the towels Loki conjured up for them a few minutes ago.

Five minutes into their game of around the world, a group of around twelve men interrupted their game. The assumed leader of the group had slapped the perfectly shot ball from the air as Toni threw it, earning a death glare from the small girl. "You ass clowns need to move," he says, deepening the glare from Toni.

"Excuse me?" the brown haired girl says, taking a step in front of the man. "You got it all wrong, bucko. You need to wait. We're clearly using it."

The man forces a dry laugh at the teen's statement and looks down at her. "Listen bitch," he says, deepening the glare even further. "That's our ball you're using. Meaning we where here first. Now, either you and your little party of butt buddies can leave, or we're gonna make you. And trust me, I'm not holding back just because you're a girl."

Toni bites the inside of her lip so hard she tastes blood, attempting to hold back the throng of insults that linger on her tongue. "You stupid fuck," she finally growls, unbridled fury burning behind the green tint in her eyes. "You and your stupid fucking gang can wait your damned turn like the-"

Steve clamps a hand over her mouth before the string can continue, already having sent Bruce to retrieve his shield. "I'm sorry," he says quickly, making Toni redirect her glare to the blond. "We had no idea it was your ball. We'll be going now."

The angry Stark manages to shake from the soldier's grip. "Like HELL we will!" she shouts, feeling herself being lifted off the ground by Steve. "No! Put me down! This dumbass is about to get what's coming to him!"

Loki wordlessly follows behind Bruce as he exits the court, pausing a moment to level with Steve, who struggles to hold the violently thrashing teen in his arms. "Calm yourself, young one," the god shushes, barely being heard over the profanities being shouted. "I will take care of it." That shuts Toni up. Loki chuckles slightly and mutters a string of spell words under his breath, hearing the once green court hiss as it heats up and turns red. The group of men cries out in pain as the bottoms of their shoes melt and burn their feet, making them run out as they attempt to soothe the burning in their soles.

Once the group is no longer in sight, Loki mutters a different string of words, making the ground return to its normal temperature. Toni slaps an open palm on Steve's back as she watches the scene unfold, wiping tears away as she manages to reign in her excitement. "That was great!" she chokes out around the mirth. "That was too great!"

"That was not great," Steve scolds, setting the brown haired girl on the ground once they reach a few yards away from the court. "We could have just left it alone and let them have the court. Mega heating it to the point it'll melt their feet off was not necessary."

Toni throws her hands in the air. "Hey! Blame Frosty here!" she says, pointing a thumb at Loki. "He's the one with the magical abilities and junk!"

"I would appreciate if you would refrain from referring to the skill that took me decades to master junk," Loki comments to Toni before turning to Steve. "And I will admit, I was the mastermind behind the ordeal, but for good reason. I did not take too kindly to the way he spoke to Toni or any of us for that matter. It was extremely unnecessary, so I retaliated in the same manner."

Bruce shakes his head and begins walking in the direction they were going in the first place. "I think he's been spending way too much time with Toni," he says as everyone catches up. "He's starting to take on her attitude."

Toni scoffs and folds her arms behind her head, watching as Steve adjusts the shield on his shoulder. "My attitude is a wonderful thing to live by," she says, furrowing her brows slightly at the sight of people running towards them. "You don't usually give a shit about anything and you get stuff done…. Why are they running?"

"I was wondering the same thing," Steve says, quickening his pace forward as they begin weaving through people. They whip around the corner just as a building overhead explodes and rains debris down on them. Loki shouts a spell and the large chucks of debris shrivel into dust, coating the quartet in a fine layer of gray.

A flying scooter thing slides around the corner they just came from and more explosions are heard coming from that direction. "Chitauri!" Toni shouts, scanning the skies and surrounding areas for anything of any use. "Why are they here?"

"Doesn't matter," Steve retorts, already setting up in an offensive posture, watching a dozen or so of the beasts advance with guns raised. "We need to clear them out. Toni, you and Loki take this street; make sure they don't get any further out. Bruce, you take the roofs. I'll call Tony and we'll take out the other street they're coming from."

"Got it!" Toni replies as the Other Guy rears his head and leaps into the air. "Come on Loki!" No one has time to respond before she darts forward and kicks the gun from one of the warrior's hands. It screeches in anger as she snatches the gun from the air and shoots it in the face, spraying her face with its blue blood. Loki starts weaving spells that make allies turn to enemies and kill each other while others simply choke on nothing.

The god has to duck as a car explodes on his right and narrowly misses his head, glancing over to catch the oh so quick apology glance from Toni. A Chitauri grabs her arm in attempt to rip it off, but a beam of white light takes its head off before it could. Iron Man lands beside his daughter and kicks the decapitated body away, blasting another one just before it fires its weapon. "You all right?" he asks, opening his facemask to communicate fully with his daughter.

"Yeah," Toni says, lifting her stolen weapon and shooting a monster as it attempts to sneak up behind Loki. "Go help Steve. He's on the street beside this on."

"On it," he says as the mask lowers. The man or iron shoots into the air to aide his comrade, taking out a line of the aliens as they begin to swarm the god.

Toni sees the start of Loki's struggle and rushes in, tackling on to the ground and stabbing it through the throat with the gun she holds. Another one is lit on fire by Loki's spell as it raised it's weapon to fire, running around screeching in pain as it spreads the flames to his allies. The brown haired girl regains her footing only to lose it once more when she is dog piled by three of the creatures. Her arms barely hold the snarling beasts away as they claw at her face. For a second, her arms do weaken and lower the warriors to her face, allowing one enough distance to cut three parallel lines on her cheek. Toni winces as she feels the burning in her face before she somehow musters the strength to throw the beasts off.

Two gunshots ring in her ears and two of the things drop, another one being taken down by an arrow to the forehead. Natasha runs up beside her and fires three more times before taking cover behind the truck Toni hides behind. "Where did they come from?" she shouts over the chaos, watching as another two arrows pierce the chests of approaching enemies.

"I don't know," Toni replies, heaving part of a brick at the gray face of one of the aliens. "But I wish I had my gloves…. Damn." The females roll away from their base as a Chitauri throws a hand grenade under it. It explodes in a brilliant display of lights as Toni stands once again. Tires screech to her left and the brown haired girl is in the air again. She skitters a few yards away before grinding her fingertips on the ground until they're bloody to stop herself. Her head lifts to stare into the eyes of an overly panicked soccer mom. "Really!" Toni shouts to herself. "We're in the middle of a battle with an alien species and I get hit by a damn car? Because fuck logic right!"

Thunder booms overhead and a pillar of lightning strikes down ten aliens who had raised their weapons at her. Thor lands beside Toni and immediately swings his hammer at an abandoned car on his right, sending it crashing into another six Chitauri. "How does the battle fare?" the god asks, failing to notice the green lightning being shot to his left.

Toni grabs another discarded Chitauri weapon to help her in her struggle to her feet, trying her damnedest to ignore the throbbing in her entire left side. "Tiring," she responds blankly leaning slightly on the thunderer to fire at a few of the remaining beasts. "They're thinning out though. Go on and help the others."

"But you are injured," Thor responds, taking a moment to examine the cuts on her cheek. "I shall stay until you are well enough to fight again."

"By that time the battle would be over," she replies, straightening with the help of the staff gun. "Go. Start hitting things. I got this."

Thor watches Toni warily for a moment before sighing and launching himself in the air once again. Right as he disappears, Loki appears beside her. "Are you all right?" he asks, taking the bloodied hand into his.

"Fine," she says, taking her hand back to fire at another approaching Chitauri. "You need to go stealth mode," she says, pressing her back against his. "Natasha, Clint and Thor are here. If they see you…"

"I am already invisible," Loki says after he recites the spell to superheat the ground again. "I have been since the widow's air machine landed on the building over there."

"Air machine?" the brown haired girl repeats, throwing the staff aside when she sees Barton take out the last alien. "You mean the quinjet?" Her eyes flicker to the building Loki points to and she lets out a breathy sigh. "How did I not see that?"

"Toni," she hears her dad call from behind, causing her to step around Loki and face him fully. Iron Man lands and the suit opens as Tony closes the distance between him and his daughter, carefully holding her jaw to fully examine the bleeding lines on her face. "That's gonna need stitches," he informs earning a frown from his daughter that quickly shifts into a wince. "Other than this, are you ok?"

The teen shrugs and sighs a bit, rolling her sore shoulder a few times to test how badly it's damaged. "Got hit by a car a few minutes ago," she responds, holding up her bloodied hand. "And dog piled by a few of the bastards… Other than that I'm peachy."

Steve trots up a few seconds later, frowning at the red stain on the collar and sleeve of Toni's shirt. His eyes traces back to the source and he lifts a finger at it. "That's going to need stitches," he says, earning an eye roll from Toni. "There was about fifty five of the sons of bitches in all," he starts once the rest of the team regroups with them. "How did they get here, though? Stark I thought you were running perimeter."

"I was," Tony defends. "My sensors didn't go off until the first building was destroyed."

Bruce walks up, holding up the stretched remains of his pants in his hands as he walks forward. "Then how did they get here?" he asks, earning the eyes of all the Avengers. "I mean, we would have seen a portal open up, right?"

Toni nods and her eyes flick to Loki, searching for an answer from the person that worked with them before. "Perhaps," the green-eyed god says, having caught the glances from Toni. "They have found a new source of transportation. One that does not require the Tesseract or the Bifrost."

"Maybe," Toni starts over the multiple opinions of the others. "They found a way to get here without using the Tesseract or the other way Thor got here the last time."

"The Bifrost," Thor clarifies, tapping his chin in thought. "It is possible. After all, my brother has managed to discover hidden paths between realms. It is safe to assume that perhaps the Chitauri have also discovered those paths."

Natasha nods in understanding. "Now we need to find out the why," she says, replacing her pistols in their proper holders.

"They could be looking for Loki like we are," Toni suggests, wincing as her face burns every time she opens her mouth. "After all, Thor did tell me they were planning on sending him back. Maybe they haven't found them on wherever they live, so they're looking here."

"Your reasoning is solid, young Stark," Thor says, clapping a hand on Toni's injured shoulder. "That seems to be the only explanation we have."

Steve nods and switches his shield to his other arm. "We'll contact Director Fury about it later," he says, wiping a bit of sweat from his brow. "Right now, we need to get our wounds checked out and taken care of."

"I second the motion," Toni says, lifting her uninjured shoulder as she blinks away a few stray tears that formed when Thor patted her. "Let's go!"

Clint nods and looks to the building they left their ride. "Tasha I'll go get the quinjet," he says, selecting the correct arrowhead and taking aim. "The rest of you stay put."

The archer fires and is lifted into the air by his rope before Toni raises an arm in a tired salute. "You don't have to worry about that," she says, listening to the metallic whirls as Tony dons his suit once again.

Iron Man turns to the group. "I'll see you back at the tower," he says, earning nods from most of the Avengers. He takes off and leaves in a streak of gold and red right as Clint lands the jet again.

Toni sighs and struggles not to limp into the back, making sure to keep Loki in front of her at all time. He takes a seat beside the wall and Toni takes the first seat beside him, gently resting her head on the wall behind her. "I can heal some of your wounds if you'd like," Loki offers as her eyes flicker to Clint. "Your leg at least. You're limping."

The brown haired girl shakes her head ever so slightly and drops her voice to barely a whisper. "No," she breathes so only Loki can catch it. "If I'm suddenly healed, Clint, Thor and Natasha will get suspicious. That's the last thing we need."

Banner takes the seat beside her and carefully lifts her blood-covered hand to his eye level. "How did this happen?" he questions, looking over the already clotting fingertips. "It looks like you brushed your fingers against a meat grinder."

"Got hit by a car," she explains tiredly, wincing as Bruce lifts a finger for further examination. "Had to stop, so I put my hands down."

"Not to smart," the doctor replies, tearing off part of his pants to use as a makeshift bandage for the time being. "I'll take care of everything when we get back to the tower, ok?"

Toni nods and yawns, hissing slightly as her face begins to sting. "This is gonna be a long rest of the day," she says, allowing her eyes to flutter shut. "I hate stitches…"


End file.
